Joe Biden's call for Kavanaugh confirmation delay evokes Anita Hill hearing


Lawmakers and advocates are calling to delay Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote amid a sexual assault allegation, and former Vice President Joe Biden has just thrown his very qualified voice into the mix.
Christine Ford came forward Sunday to publicly allege that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her when they were both in high school in the 1980s. She has since said she's willing to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the alleged incident. The situation is starting to look a lot like Justice Clarence Thomas' Senate confirmation hearing — a hearing Biden was in charge of and later admitted to mishandling.
In 1991, an all-white, all-male Senate Judiciary Committee ruthlessly questioned law professor Anita Hill as she described sexual harassment from Thomas while they worked together, CNN's Joan Biskupic explains. Biden was the committee's chairman at the time, and the Los Angeles Times reported at the time that Biden had agreed to a compromise with Republicans that prevented a witness from testifying to corroborate Hill's claims. Biden acknowledged in a 2017 Teen Vogue interview that he hadn't done right by Hill, saying, "I owe her an apology."
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.
In a Monday statement on the Kavanaugh allegations, Biden called for a "fair and respectful hearing of [Ford's] allegations" and a "thorough and nonpartisan effort to get to the truth, wherever it leads."
Democrats on and off the committee were advocating for a delay of Kavanaugh's confirmation vote even before Ford put her name on a letter detailing the alleged attack. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined them Sunday, increasing the likelihood that the committee's vote will stall until Ford testifies.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Crossword: June 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Anshu Ahuja's golden coconut and butter bean curry recipe
The Week Recommends Plump, creamy beans in a sweet, spicy sauce
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination cases
speed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threats
speed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein