Flake calls on Senate Judiciary Committee to delay Kavanaugh vote


Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on Sunday evening said a woman who accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault while they were in high school "must be heard" before the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on his Supreme Court nomination.
The panel is scheduled to vote on Thursday. Earlier Sunday, The Washington Post published the account of Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California. She wrote a confidential letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in July detailing the alleged assault, and decided to reveal her identity on Sunday after news of the letter leaked.
Flake told the Post he's "made it clear that I'm not comfortable moving ahead with the vote on Thursday if we have not heard her side of the story or explored this further. For me, we can't vote until we hear more." There are 21 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, with Republicans holding an 11-to-10 majority. A spokesman for the committee told the Post Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is trying to arrange follow-up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford ahead of the vote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami