US SC NOMINEE TO TESTIFY BEFORE SENATE
COULD DETERMINE THE FATE OF HIS CONFIRMATION
WASHINGTON: US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a woman who has accused him of sexual assault will testify in a public hearing before the Senate on Monday.
Kavanaugh’s accuser, a university professor, has said she was assaulted at a party 36 years ago, when both were high school students in Maryland state. She was 15 then and Kavanaugh was 17.
Kavanaugh, hand-picked by President Donald Trump for the lifetime post on the top court, has denied the allegations in several statements, and the White House and Trump are standing by him. However, the Republican Party leadership, including Trump, have bowed to pressure to hear both the accuser and the nominee.
The hearing represents a potential make-or-break moment for Kavanaugh’s confirmation chances — Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority of 51-49 in the Senate, and two defections would be enough to derail Kavanaugh’s confirmation if all the Democrats vote no.
It also comes weeks before the November 6 midterm elections, in which Democrats are seeking to take control of Congress from the Republicans.
The plan was initially for the Senate judiciary committee, which is conducting Kavanaugh’s confirmation process, to speak to him and the professor over the phone. However, the Democrats did not agree and demanded not only for the professor to be heard in person but also to delay her testimony till after an investigation into her allegations by the FBI.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote, which was earlier scheduled for Thursday, will now be held after their testimony.
Speaking to reporters, Trump dismissed any notion that Kavanaugh’s nomination should be withdrawn. Asked about the delay in the confirmation process, he said: “It depends on the process. I’d like to see a complete process. I’d like everybody to be very happy… If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay.”
The confirmation hearings were over and the process was moving into the voting stage, which the Republicans were expected to wrap up without a threat of a defeat because for all their spirited criticism of the nominee, Democrats do not have the numbers to vote him down.