NATION GOP SIGNALS IT WILL FORGE AHEAD ON KAVANAUGH

Senators largely are pushing for a vote amid signs Christine Blasey Ford may decline to testify.

WA S H IN G TON» Senate Republicans strongly signaled Wednesday that they will forge ahead with embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation as his accuser called the rush for a public hearing next week unfair.

GOP senators who fretted this week about the prospects for President Donald Trump’s pick are now largely pushing for a vote on Kavanaugh, who is accused of sexually assaulting nowprofessor Christine Blasey Ford when they were teenagers, amid signs that she may decline to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. And Trump is more convinced he should stand by Kavanaugh than he was two days ago, people close to the White House say.

Publicly, Trump has become more vocal in defending Kavanaugh, telling reporters on Wednesday that it was “very hard for me to imagine anything happened” with Ford, who detailed her allegation extensively in a report published Sunday.

Ford, through her lawyers, has requested that the FBI conduct an investigation into the alleged incident before she speaks to the committee, and Senate Democrats have lined up behind her. But Republicans have not budged from their view that the FBI does not need to intervene, or from their plan to hear testimony from Kavanaugh and Ford on Monday.

Ford’s attorneys have not declined the committee’s invitation. But they reiterated Wednesday that although Ford is willing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee, there needs to be a “full, nonpartisan investigation.” Her lawyer also said having just two witnesses — Kavanaugh and Ford — was neither fair nor in good faith.

“Dr. Ford was reluctantly thrust into the public spotlight only two days ago,” attorney Lisa Banks said. “She is currently unable to go home, and is receiving ongoing threats to her and her family’s safety. Fairness and respect for her situation dictate that she should have time to deal with this.”