The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court on Friday, less than 24 hours after Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testify regarding Ford’s accusations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her nearly 30 years ago.
In a statement, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s spokesman, Taylor Foy, said committee rules require that such votes be posted three days in advance.
“An executive business meeting is being noticed tonight in the event that a majority of the members are prepared to hold one on Friday,” Foy said.
Following the announcement, Grassley tweeted, stressing that this was a potential meeting that could be further delayed, but added that the vote could still take place on Friday if the vote was so desired.
“Judic Cmte noticed POTENTIAL exec mtg for Friday. Still taking this 1 step at a time. After hrg Dr Ford & Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony- if we’re ready to vote, we will vote. If we aren’t ready, we won’t. Cmte rules normally require 3 days notice so we’re following regular order,” Grassley wrote.
Judic Cmte noticed POTENTIAL exec mtg for Friday. Still taking this 1 step at a time. After hrg Dr Ford & Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony- if we‘re ready to vote, we will vote. If we aren’t ready, we won’t. Cmte rules normally require 3 days notice so we‘re following regular order
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 25, 2018
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committee’s top Democrat, issued a statement, saying it’s clear that “Republicans don’t want this to be a fair process.”
“For Republicans to schedule a Friday vote on Brett Kavanaugh today, two days before Dr. Blasey Ford has had a chance to tell her story, is outrageous,” Feinstein said. “First Republicans demanded Dr. Blasey Ford testify immediately. Now Republicans don’t even need to hear her before they move ahead with a vote.”
According to Politico, Senate Republicans hired a female attorney to conduct Ford’s questioning at the hearing regarding her sexual assault allegations on Thursday, but the senators are declining to release the attorney’s name at this time.
Grassley told Politico on Tuesday that “we aren’t announcing the name for her safety.” When asked if the senators have received any sort of indication of threats towards the attorney that they are bringing on for the hearing, Grassley said, “I don’t know, but I guess we’re just being cautious.”
As the committee announced that they are pressing ahead with a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination, Deborah Ramirez’s attorney charged that Republican “have refused to meet all scheduled appointments” to discuss her allegation against Kavanaugh. In a New Yorker report released on Sunday, Ramirez accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself and thrusting his genitals in her face at a college party in the 1980s.
“Ms. Ramirez is ready to swear to the FBI under penalty of perjury. Why won’t the Senate Judiciary Committee welcome that?” Ramirez’s attorney, John Clune, tweeted on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has continued to stand by his Supreme Court nominee, and sought to discredit Ramirez on Tuesday, mocking her claims, CNN reports.
The White House has tried to shift the blame for this recent debacle onto Democrats. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders singled out Feinstein, blaming the top Judiciary Committee Democrat for creating this controversy.
“I find that to be disgraceful and disgusting, and she certainly needs to shoulder a lot of the blame for what’s going on right now,” Sanders said.
Despite Trump’s comments about Ramirez, Sanders said the White House is open to Ramirez testify. Senate Republicans, however, have said that they will determine the witnesses and have repeatedly said that they would limit it to Ford and Kavanaugh.
Feinstein and other Democrats have called on the White House to allow the FBI to investigate Ford’s allegations, but the Trump administration has refused agree to it, according to Politico.
“The best way the process is fair and gets to the truth in a respectful manner is an FBI background check investigation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “If you want the truth, you ask for an FBI background check investigation. If you’re afraid of the truth, you avoid an FBI background investigation.”
The FBI has said that it has completed its background investigation on Kavanaugh and has no further role in this nomination argument.