Congresswomen demand hearing be postponed

Frankel, Wasserman, Schultz say more time is necessary to investigate allegations

A delegation of female Democratic congresswomen crossed the Capitol on Thursday morning to deliver a request to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, RKy., that the Brett Kavanaugh hearing be postponed.

They said they want a full FBI investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct years ago that have threatened Kavanaugh’s nomination as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

The delegation was led by U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel of Palm Beach County, who is chairwoman of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group.

Frankel tweeted later that she was in the hearing room “to support Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford as she testifies. Her story is heartwrenching. I’m with you and I support you.”The group arrived as the Kavanaugh hearing was about to start.

When the group entered a reception area, Frankel interviewed many of her colleagues for a Facebook Live video.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said the group was “demanding that this sham hearing be postponed. We’ve had three women who have come forward with credible allegations against Brett Kavanaugh who is seeking a lifetime appointment on the United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.”

She urged parents of daughters want Kavanaugh “to be given a lifetime appointment without getting to the bottom through additional witnesses of whether or not he committed sexual assault repeatedly, no matter how long ago it was. This is a question of character and of standing up for women and showing women that they matter in this country.”

U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando, a former police chief, said “we deserve a fair and thorough investigation. New information has come forward and we need the FBI to be called back in to investigate these allegations.”

After Frankel was done interviewing her colleagues about why they were there, a McConnell staffer said, “welcome to our office.”

Frankel gave him “a letter just really we’re just urging the leader here to please postpone this Kavanaugh hearing and do an investigation.”

He accepted the letter, then asked, “Anybody need a water while you’re here?”