Sen. Susan Collins is asking the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee to allow an attorney for Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh to be able to question his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and for Ford’s attorney to question Kavanaugh.
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, has agreed to reopen Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings in light of explosive allegations made by Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago when they were both in high school. Ford, now a psychology professor in California, had made the allegations anonymously to the committee but recently came forward publicly in a Washington Post story.
Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, has denied the allegations, but Grassley said Monday he would allow both Ford and Kavanaugh to testify next week.
Collins, Maine’s senior senator and a potentially critical vote in the confirmation, has welcomed the additional testimony and offered some thoughts on procedure in her letter Tuesday.
“I respectfully recommend that you invite the attorneys retained by Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh to pose questions during the hearing,” Collins wrote. “Dr. Ford’s attorney would be permitted to question Judge Kavanaugh, and Judge Kavanaugh’s attorney would question Dr. Ford. Each would be permitted equal time to do so before Senators began their round of questions. Such an approach would provide more continuity, elicit the most information, and allow for an in-depth examination of the allegations.”
Ford’s allegations have brought last-second uncertainty to the nomination process involving Kavanaugh, who Republicans have been trying to get confirmed ahead of the November midterm elections.
Because of the current Senate breakdown, Republicans only have a 51-49 advantage, which means they can’t afford to lose more than one member of their caucus if Democrats unite against Kavanaugh.
Collins has not yet said how she plans to vote but has faced unrelenting pressure from constituents in Maine and activists.
On Tuesday, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault issued a statement in support of Ford.
“Over the last year, we have seen many survivors publicly disclose sexual assaults they endured years after the assault was perpetrated. In each case, the public conversation continues to be concerned with whether or not we can trust survivors who come forward so many years later,” the statement read. “Dr. Blasey Ford’s later report of assault is common among victims of sexual violence. Victims don’t have much to gain by reporting sexual assault. Most often, they have a lot to lose, which is why sexual assault is the most unreported violent crime in the United States.”
The coalition said it hopes Ford is treated with respect at Monday’s hearing
Some of Collins’ Republican colleagues, however, already have cast doubt on Ford’s story and have blasted the timing of the allegations.
John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 ranking Senate Republican, told reporters at the Capitol late Tuesday morning that he had concerned about “gaps.”
“The problem is, Dr. Ford can’t remember when it was, where it was, or how it came to be,” Cornyn said, according to the Washington Post.
Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
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Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is interviewed as she arrives for a vote, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. In the background are Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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