Good morning, and welcome to our live blog.
In just about ten minutes, the fifth day of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing will be gaveled into session. We will hear testimony from Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the judge of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers.
This session of the hearing, unlike the previous four days, is taking place in a relatively small hearing room with extremely limited press coverage, at Ford's request.
Ford will go first and Kavanaugh will be next; they won't be in the room at the same time, again at Ford's request.
In an unusual move, the Republican members of the committee have chosen to have their questioning conducted by Rachel Mitchell, an experienced sex-crimes prosecutor from Arizona. The Democratic members will be questioning the witnesses themselves.
Each senator will have five minutes for questioning (which they can cede to colleagues or staff members, including Rachel Mitchell), and the Republicans and Democrats will alternate.
Here's the basic outline for the day as I understand it.
Grassley and Feinstein will give opening statements, for which there will be no time limitation.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford will be sworn in and give an opening statement (no time limit).
The committee vote is still scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow. But one thing about that is that Chairman Grassley has indicated that there are certain things he must do under committee rules, include give three days notice for a vote.
Each senator will have five minutes for questioning. Senators can defer their time to another committee member or staff person. Senators will alternate questioning by party.
Then this will repeat for Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
The senators are taking their seats now.
Chairman Grassley just came in and is sitting down.
This hearing is in the Judiciary Committee's regular hearing room, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The first part was in the large general hearing room in the more modern Hart Senate Office Building. That room is more or less a TV studio. Dr. Ford apparently did not want to testify in that imposing room.
Dr. Ford is at the table now.
She is accompanied by her lawyers, Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich.
Grassley is bringing the hearing to order.
He is thanking the witnesses for testifying.
Both have been through a terrible couple of weeks. They and their families have received vile threats.
Wants to apologize for the way they have been treated, wants hearing to be safe and dignified and civil.
Explains how hearing has come about. Nominated on July 9. Kavanaugh has served on DC Circuit for 12 years.
Kavanaugh has undergone six full background investigations. Nowhere in these six FBI reports was there a whiff of any issue, any issue at all, related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior.
Ford first raised allegations nearly 2 months ago in a secret letter. Letter was secret from July 30 until September. Ranking Member Feinstein took no action.
Allegations could have been addressed earlier.
Ranking Member didn't ask Kavanaugh about the allegations when she met with him privately or during previous hearing or during a closed session, which Feinstein did not attend.
Kavanaugh answered more written questions than any other nominee. Ranking Member only referred allegations to FBI at the eleventh hour.
Judge Kavanaugh has had to address these alllegations in the midst of a media circus.
According to Grassley's office, we will hear opening statements from the chairman (going on now), and from the ranking Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. Thankfully, since this is a continuation of a pending hearing, we don't have to hear opening statements from all the other committee members.
Grassley and his staff addressed the allegations the way they have conducted similar investigations in the past. Contacted all the individuals Ford identified and Kavanaugh denied all the allegations.
Democrats did not participate in the investigation.
If they had wanted to get to the truth, why didn't they participate?
Witnesses named by Ford did not corroborate her statements.
The judiciary committee was able to conduct thorough investigations into the allegations. Some colleagues pushed for FBI investigations, but he has no authority to order an FBI investigation.
FBI doesn't assess credibility or verify witness statements. Quotes Joe Biden during Justice THomas' hearings re usefulness of FBI reports. FBI does not reach a conclusion, period.
They do not reach a conclusion or make recommendations.
Grassley: Some colleagues have complained that an expert on the Republican side will question the witness (a sex crimes prosecutor). I see no basis for this complaint but for politics.
Grassley: These issues are difficult, which is why an expert was needed. I can think of no one better equipped to question the witnesses than Rachel Mitchell.
Grassley: She has spent working on sexual assault issues and educating others about how to handle them.
Grassley: There are other allegations. We have not had cooperation from attorneys representing other clients.
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