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Flake To Vote for Kavanaugh; Flake Confronted by Rape Victims; Judiciary Committee Hearing. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 28, 2018 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[09:30:00] MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Made very, very clear that, yes, in fact, he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. He says that he heard more than 30 hours of testimony. He was prepared to support the nomination after that initial 30 hours. But after the Ford allegations surfaced a couple weeks ago, he insisted for this hearing to happen yesterday. After it did, he said he listened to it. He said that he looked at it and he said, while some may argue that a different standard should apply regarding the Senate's advice and consent responsibilities, I believe that the Constitution's provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well. I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.

Now, why is this so significant? Because the math is so, so close in the Senate.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR:

RAJU: You cannot lose more than two Republican votes if all Democrats vote against this nomination. And he was one of three Republicans we were looking at as possible defectors. Now that he'll vote yes, focus now shifts to Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. How will they vote and how will those handful of red state Democrats ultimately vote.

HARLOW: Right.

RAJU: The first big decision here going Judge Kavanaugh's way. A clear sign that there's a good chance he could get confirmed to this seat as early as next week, guys.

HARLOW: Right. And we see Republican Senator Ben Sasse walking in there as well, who called this all a circus yesterday.

Manu, let's bring back in the team.

John Avlon, you cannot overstate how huge that is.

Let's listen to Jeff Flake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I understand that you said just last night you felt that the way -- that the -- that the witness was, in fact, credible.

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Monday I stood in front of your office with Ady Barken (ph). I told the story of my sexual assault. I told it because I recognized (INAUDIBLE) story that she's telling the truth.

FLAKE: I need to go. I need to go to the hearing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violating a woman to sit in the Supreme Court. This is not tolerable. You have children in your family. Think about them. I have two children. I cannot imagine that for the next 50 years they will have to have someone in the Supreme Court who has been accused of violating a young girl. What are you doing, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the future --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was sexually assaulted and nobody believes me. I didn't tell anyone and you're telling all women that they don't matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them, you're going to ignore them. That's what happened to me, and that's what you're telling all women in America, that they don't matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth they're just going to help that man to power anyway. That's what you're telling all of these women. That's what you're telling me right now.

Look at me when I'm talking to you. You're telling me that my assault doesn't matter. That what happened to me doesn't matter. And that you're going to let people who do these things into power. That's what you're telling me when you vote for him.

Don't look away from me. Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happened to me, that you'll let people like that go into the highest court of the land and tell everyone what they can do to their bodies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Flake, do you think that Brett Kavanaugh is telling the truth?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that he's able to hold the pain of this country and repair it. That is the work of justice. The way that justice work is you recognize heart. You take responsibility for it and then you begin to repair it. You're allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions and willing to hold the harm that he has done to one woman, actually three women, and end -- and repair it. You are allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want to respond?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To sit in the highest court of the country and to -- and to have the role of repairing the harm that has been done in this country to many people. No -- no thank you. What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator, do you care to respond? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I want to talk to him. Don't talk to me.

What do you think?

FLAKE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I understand, but tell me. I'm standing right here in front of you.

FLAKE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you have -- do you think he's telling the truth?

FLAKE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, do you think that he's telling the truth to the country?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have power but so many women are powerless.

FLAKE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you not give them an answer, senator?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have our -- we have our press available to talk to you guys if you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) give them an answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, thank you. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've got a response?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) can either come in or out. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Saying thank you is not an answer. This is about the future of our country, sir. You're appointing to a lifetime appointment in the Supreme Court. That's fine, find security.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could be a hero and vote no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why now? Why not wait? Why not wait -- why not wait for the investigation?

[09:35:02] There's no harm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) thinking? Do you stand with --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: these women? Do you stand with these faces who deserve due process?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator, do you want to respond to their complaints? Senator, do you care to respond to their complaint?

FLAKE: No, I need to go to the hearing. I just issued a statement. I'll be saying more as well. So, no, I -- there have been a lot of questions here, and I don't want to answer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) answer?

FLAKE: No. I'm sure everybody does.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's only one question, do you think the --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The American Bar Association says that they should wait for an FBI investigation. Do you not believe that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) be heard by the highest people in power that they're --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Thank you.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Poppy, I don't think --

HARLOW: I --

SCIUTTO: I don't think we've witnessed a moment like that --

HARLOW: No.

SCIUTTO: In recent memory. A senator -- a U.S. senator confronted by -- by two, I believe -- two, I believe, women who say that they have been rapped themselves. One of them saying to him, and I'm quoting here, through tears, don't look away from me. Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happens to me.

Just remarkable.

HARLOW: It is remarkable.

We just witnessed about five minutes of Republican Senator Jeff Flake, after he made an incredibly important decision to vote for Judge Kavanaugh after he heard from Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh yesterday, confronted in the elevator by those two women. As you said, Jim, his answers to them, thank you, I need to get to the hearing. You will hear more from me in just a moment. He did not answer their questions.

Nia-Malika Henderson, to you.

Let's talk about what this means for this country, for America, beyond this vote. What we just saw is not isolated to these two women and that one senator. That is emblematic of where this country will be left regardless of which way this vote goes, Nia. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right. I

mean you could hear the raw emotion, you could hear the anger, the anguish, really, from those two women really pleading with Jeff Flake to do something different, to really send a message, they were saying, to women that he cared, that he cared about their experiences and that they felt like sending someone like Kavanaugh to the court would send the wrong message to not only women who were victims of sexual assault, as Dr. Ford alleges that she is, but also young men.

Now, this is going to be a very divisive couple of weeks we're going to have around this conversation and then just beyond. We talked about sort of the rippling effects of the Anita Hill hearing back in 1991. We're in for it in spades going forwards.

SCIUTTO: In fairness to Senator Flake, David Gergen, that was an extremely difficult moment for any sitting politician to face. That said, that is a measure of exactly how many women view this decision.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think it's just the beginning. We're on the brink of what is likely to be the most divisive vote in our lifetimes. This is going to sharply divide the American people. There are millions and millions of women who felt just like those two women there. I think that -- and millions -- those millions of women felt that Dr. Ford spoke to them and spoke to them and stirred things in their memories in them that we as white males don't really fully understand and appreciate.

And, you know, if you have a group of 11 white men sitting there on the Republican side, you have to ask, do they get it? Do they understand? Are they of a generation that understands?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I mention the context?

SCIUTTO: If you can, just for a moment, but just -- it appears that Senator Grassley, the chairman of this committee, has opened the proceedings. Let's have a listen.

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), CHAIRMAN, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We've having a lot of emotions from -- let -- can we have -- can we have quiet from the audience?

Is there -- is there somebody from the -- that can signal to me that the fill -- the chairs are filled and that -- that -- that we can have some peace and quiet?

[09:40:02] I'd like to start out today where we left off on September the 13th. Although this is a new meeting. But I was anticipating a lot of motions from the minority, and we did have some motions for the minority. But if you remember I said that I'll give the minority a chance to make their motions and then I was going to make a motion that we have a time certain to vote.

And, so, I wanted to make that motion time certain to vote, but if there is a motion from the minority, I would recognize that motion first. SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to

make a motion to subpoena Mark Judge as a witness before our committee.

GRASSLEY: OK. Let me -- just hold this --

BLUMENTHAL: And I'd be happy to speak to it, but I wanted --

GRASSLEY: Hold just a minute.

Can -- would you -- could you make your remarks short, please, and speak now and then we will vote.

Proceed.

BLUMENTHAL: Yes. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

We heard yesterday from an extraordinarily courageous, strong survivor, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Every one of us, I think, were riveted and powerfully impressed by her truth. We heard her provide details in that story that can be corroborated and other facts that can be uncovered if we hear from other witnesses who have very relevant, important knowledge about what happened to her on that evening in that room.

The third person allegedly in the room was Mark Judge. Evidently, he has never been interviewed by the FBI. He has never been questioned by any member of our committee. He has never submitted a detailed account of what he knows.

And so I move, Mr. Chairman, that we have him before this committee as a witness. He could be interviewed beforehand on a bipartisan basis. I recognize that he has submitted a cursory, conclusory six-sentence letter, not even signed by him. It's from his attorney. And I believe we have a responsibility to subpoena at the very least Mark Judge before we move to vote.

It is our constitutional duty to do everything we can to uncover the truth after hearing yesterday that compelling testimony from Dr. Blasey Ford. And we cannot, in good conscious, vote without hearing at least from Mark Judge.

I would submit with all due respect, Mr. Chairman, that there are other witnesses essential for us to hear from. We should hear from the other sexual assault survivors who have come forward with credible and powerful stories and that will be also, in my view, necessary. But today I am moving that we subpoena Mark Judge.

GRASSLEY: Before we vote, I will read a letter that we received from Mark Judge last night. As I stated in my -- in my attorney, Barbara van Gelder (ph), September 18, 2018, letter, I did not ask to be involved in this matter, nor did anyone ask me to be involved. We have told the committee that I do want to comment -- when I told the committee that I do not want to comment about these events publically as a recovering alcoholic and a cancer survivor. I have struggled with depression and anxiety. As a result, I avoid public speaking. Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school, but we have not

spoken directly in several years. I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in a manner Dr. Ford describes. I am knowingly submitting this letter under penalty of felony. Mark Judge, witnessed by Barbara van Gelder. And he -- and he has signed it.

[09:45:08] Call the roll.

BLUMENTHAL: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, if I may respond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's calling the roll.

GRASSLEY: On the motion?

BLUMENTHAL: Yes, on the motion, if I may respond. That letter is no substitute for an FBI interview.

GRASSLEY: I --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The answer -- the answer is no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Graham.

BLUMENTHAL: And it is no substitute for testimony before this committee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Lee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Cruz.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Sasse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Flake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Craco (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Tillis (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Kennedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Feinstein.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Leahy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Durbin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Whitehouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Klobuchar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Coons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Bloomenthal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Hirono.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Booker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Harris.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Chairman.

GRASSLEY: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Chairman, the votes are 10 yea, 11 nays.

GRASSLEY: The motion is defeated.

Now I move, as I said I was going to do, that we set the vote to report out Judge Kavanaugh's nomination at 11:30 p.m. today.

Call the roll.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman, point of order.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Graham.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Graham.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman, point of order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, I can't hear (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's violating the rules of the committee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Lee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Cruz.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Sasse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Flake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Craco (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ramrod continues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Tillis (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Kennedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aye.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Feinstein.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Leahy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, because it violates the customs of this -- of this committee. It violates it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Durbin. Mr. Durbin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Whitehouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Klobuchar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Coons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Blumenthal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Hirono.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I strongly object. This is (INAUDIBLE). My answer is no, no, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Booker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're not answering because this is so unfair, Mr. Chairman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It breaks our rules and customs (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Chairman --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Chairman, the votes are 11 yes, and eight nays.

GRASSLEY: OK. Motion carried.

I'll go to my opening statement now.

We have an agenda on -- with ten judges who are ready to be voted on. Brett Kavanaugh dominated to the Supreme Court. Jonathan Kolbis (ph) nominated to the eighth circuit and eight district court judges. We ought also have two bills on the agenda. We will hold over S-3178, the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act.

We will vote on S-2785, the Deterror (ph) Act, sponsored by Senators Durbin and Graham. This bill combats offensive election interference by foreign adversaries by denying entry to any foreign national who has been deemed to engage in election interference.

The amendment I'll be introducing makes clear that the secretary of Homeland Security will make this decision on who has engaged in election interference in consultation with the attorney general, the director of national intelligence and the secretary of state. Any foreign national who engages or conspires to engage in improper interference in our election should not be allowed to enter our country under any circumstances except to stand trial.

Yesterday, we heard testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh regarding sexual assault allegations that date back to when the two were in high school. It was difficult and emotional for both of them.

At the end of the day, the three witnesses Dr. Ford named denied any knowledge of the events she described. Judge Kavanaugh forcefully denied the allegations. The alleged behavior is inconsistent with everything else we know about him.

Hundreds of people, including women he knew in high school, attested to his character and fundamental decency as a person both in high school and now. He is widely regarded as an excellent husband, father, friend, coach, professor, and judge. He has an exemplary record of being at the forefront of women's advancement in the legal profession and he's been through six FBI full-time background investigations and no issues of sexual misconduct were uncovered.

[09:50:16] It's a fundamental aspect of fairness and due process that the accuser have the burden of proving allegations. It's true yesterday -- yesterday's hearing was not a trial. But trials have rules based on commonsense notions of fairness and due process, not the other way around. A person had allegations made against him in a public way, and his reputation and livelihood were at stake. It was only fair that his accuser had the burden of proof. In my opinion, this wasn't met.

Hey, you folks that are photographers know that you're supposed to sit down. Maybe -- maybe you just ought to leave the room if you don't know what the rules are.

I found Dr. Ford's testimony credible and believed she's sincere in her version of the facts. But I also found Judge Kavanaugh's testimony credible and sincere. Ultimately, the existing evidence, including the statement of three alleged eyewitnesses named by Dr. Ford, refutes Dr. Ford's version of the facts. There's simply no reason to deny Judge Kavanaugh a seat on the Supreme Court on the basis of evidence presented to us.

I reopen the hearing at the assistance of Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford wanted to be heard. And we gave her that opportunity. Not one question to Dr. Ford was disrespectful in any way. She was treated with courtesy and dignity, as I promised her. But the questions my Democratic colleagues asked Judge Kavanaugh were unequivocally and universally hostile.

My colleagues first claimed that the Senate doesn't confirm Supreme Court nominees in midterm elections. "The Washington Post" fact checker said that's false. Indeed, justice -- can we have quiet, please? I would expect the same quiet for other people on the committee when they speak.

Anyway, indeed, Justice Breyer and Kagan were both confirmed in midterm elections.

Then the second attempt was to argue that we needed to request all Judge Kavanaugh's executive branch records. But they completely ignored the fact that we did not request all of Justice Kagan's executive branch records. Indeed, her most recent and relevant executive branch records from the solicitor general's office were not requested. Even despite the fact that Judge Kavanaugh has spent the last 12 years on the second most -- even though Judge Kavanaugh has spent the last 12 years on the second most powerful court in the country, issuing 307 opinions and joining hundreds of others. We received over 480,000 pages of documents from Judge Kavanaugh's time on the executive branch. This was more pages of such documents than the last five Supreme Court nominees combined.

In short, it was the most thorough and transparent confirmation process of all.

I'm going to put the rest of my statement in the record because I'm sure a lot of people are irritated right now, and I'll let them express that irritation.

We'll go by seniority. So I'll call on Senator Feinstein and put the rest of my statement in the record.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'm very disappointed that we're here today's voting on this nomination, especially in light of the testimony that we heard just yesterday. My Republican colleagues spent their time at the hearing focused exclusively on policy and on partisanship and process. The majority argued that the sexual assault Dr. Ford experienced was nothing more than a Democratic smear campaign that I am allegedly orchestrating. My staff and I were accused of leaking Dr. Ford's letter, which we did not. We were accused of leaking Deborah Ramirez's letter, which we did not. We were said to have refused to participate in the partisan, quote, investigation, end quote, yet it is the Republicans who have refused to talk to Debbie Ramirez or Julie Swetnick.

[09:55:21] Republicans also failed to mention Democrats were not notified and had no idea the chairman's staff had been communicating with Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth (ph), Leland Keyser (ph), and apparently at least two other individuals who have not been named. Instead, Democrats learned about this outreach when various letters or e-mails appeared in the press. And in one case, we learned about the Republican staff outreach at 10:00 p.m. the night before the hearing.

Ironically, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle had gone so far as to say this whole situation was nothing more than a nefarious attempt at political theater. I understand why they did that. The Senate is a political body. However, I was shocked to see Judge Kavanaugh take the same tone and strategy.

Candidly, in the 25 years on this committee, I have never seen a nominee for any position behave in that manner. Judge Kavanaugh used as much political rhetoric as my Republican colleagues. And what's more, he went on the attack. He yelled at Democrats for having the temerity to express our frustration for not having access to over 90 percent of his record and said that some Democratic members were, quote, an embarrassment, end quote. He accused Democrats of, quote, lying in wait, end quote, and replacing, quote, advice and consent with search and destroy, end quote.

He even went so far as to say that Dr. Ford's allegations were nothing more than, quote, a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2018 election, end quote. And, quote, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, end quote.

Unbelievable. This was not someone who reflected an impartial temperament or the fairness and even handedness one would see in a judge. This was someone who was aggressive and belligerent. I have never seen someone who wants to be elevated to the highest court in our country behave in that manner.

In stark contrast, the person who testified yesterday and demonstrated a balanced temperament was Dr. Ford. She gave powerful testimony about her experience of being physically and sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh. She started by saying how she was terrified to be before the committee, but she felt it was her civic duty to tell us what happened to her. She recounted her experience. And I quote, I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe. And I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me, end quote.

Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time, end -- well, end quote. Another quote, Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone these details. I didn't want to tell my parents that I, at age 15, was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys. I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and pretend that it didn't happen, end quote.

She was poised. She was credible. And she should be believed. Unfortunately, despite assuring Dr. Ford her allegations would be taken seriously, and she would be treated respectfully, that is not what ultimately happened. As I noted in my statement yesterday, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle had their minds made up before one word was uttered.

[09:59:49] A week ago, the majority leader declared, quote, in the near future, Judge Kavanaugh will be on the United States Supreme Court. So, my friends, keep the faith. Don't get rattled by all this. We're going to plow right through it, end quote. This was not about insuring a fair process. This was about doing the bare minimum.