Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were high-school students will testify publicly regarding the allegation before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the New York Times reported.
The hearing will delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote, which was previously scheduled for Thursday.
“Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation. He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him,” White House spokesman Raj Shah told the Times.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley confirmed Monday evening that a public hearing has been scheduled for the following Monday.
Judiciary Committee chairman @ChuckGrassley confirms that a public hearing on Dr. Ford's accusation against Judge Kavanaugh will take place on Monday. pic.twitter.com/GNlym2LT7Q
— Kevin Daley 🏛 (@KevinDaleyDC) September 17, 2018
Grassley’s announcement comes hours after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on his Republican colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to allow Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, to testify, after both parties expressed a willingness to do so Monday.
Senator Susan Collins of Maine also said Monday that both parties should be compelled to testify under oath and, should Kavanaugh be found to have lied in his denials, he should be disqualified from the confirmation process.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lambasted Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Judiciary Committee Democrat, on the Senate floor Monday for failing to come forward in July when she received a letter from Ford detailing the allegations against Kavanaugh. Ford, who initially asked not to be named, eventually identified herself as the author of the letter in a Sunday Washington Post article.
President Trump defended his nominee to the High Court Monday but said that he would accept a slight delay in the confirmation vote.
“He is somebody very special; at the same time, we want to go through a process, we want to make sure everything is perfect, everything is just right,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay — it shouldn’t certainly be very much.”