This week, Senator Murray, the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. Senate, denounced efforts from President Trump and Senate Republicans to discredit Judge Kavanaugh’s accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and pressure her to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee without a non-partisan investigation of her allegations
Senator Murray’s efforts come on the heels of weeks of work to highlight Judge Kavanaugh’s offensive record and urge people in Washington state, nationwide to continue making their voices heard against his nomination
MONDAY: Senator Murray on Senate floor: “Let’s look at the facts, let’s investigate the allegations, let us consider what that means for our view on this nominee—but let’s make sure this doesn’t become another 1991, and let’s make sure this doesn’t become another attack on a woman resulting in another chill on women everywhere” – VIDEO LINK
TUESDAY: Senator Murray with Senate Democrats on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination: “If Republicans attack Dr. Ford and this turns into anything like what we saw in 1991—women across the country are going to rise up, they are going to make their voices heard, and Republicans are going to pay a huge price”– VIDEO LINK
WEDNESDAY: Senator Murray at Seattle ‘Call to Action’ with women & advocates: “This is a test for the United States Senate on how we handle accusations of sexual assault and harassment—and I am hoping that this time we are going to pass it…because we know just how much is at stake for women’s rights with this Supreme Court nominee”– VIDEO LINK
THURSDAY: Senator Murray on @Medium: “The goal of Republican leaders couldn’t be clearer, and couldn’t be more wrong: they view this as the way to get Judge Kavanaugh confirmed as quickly as possible, not a process for allowing the Senate to conduct fair investigations and hearings and perform its constitutional advice and consent role” – LINK
From Washington D.C. to Seattle & across social media, this week Senator Murray called on her colleagues to conduct a robust investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations before moving forward with full & fair hearings that allow testimony from all relevant witnesses
See more of Senator Murray’s Twitter HERE.
(Washington, D.C.) – From the floor of the U.S. Senate, to a call to action with Seattle women and health care advocates, this week U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Assistant Democratic Leader and the highest-ranking woman in the United States Senate, forcefully condemned Republican attacks on Judge Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and demanded that her Senate Republican colleagues conduct a fair and robust investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations and that she be treated with full fairness, respect, and decency.
Citing Professor Anita Hill’s allegations of sexual harassment against Judge Clarence Thomas during his 1991 nomination hearings and how Prof. Hill’s unjust treatment by the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee inspired her to run for the U.S. Senate, Senator Murray, expressing her fear that Dr. Ford would suffer the same mistreatment, urged her strong support for Dr. Ford and all sexual assault survivors, and called on Senate Republicans to end their attempts to pressure Dr. Ford and try to jam Judge Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court on multiple occasions this week. In speeches and on social media, Senator Murray, who has vocally opposed the threat Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination poses to women’s health and more, called on Senate Republicans to delay his nomination hearings, allow a fair and full investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations, and only then move forward with fair hearings that include all relevant witnesses.
See below for a full round-up of Senator Murray’s actions and comments this week opposing Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination:
SEPTEMBER 20th:
Senator Murray took to Medium to express her support for Dr. Ford and condemn Republican attacks to silence her story and try to rush Judge Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. Link to full Medium post available here or CLICK IMAGE ABOVE
“I came into the United States Senate because I watched the Anita Hill hearings, and I was so angry about how she was treated, and it wasn’t just me. It was hundreds of thousands of other people The message that came to women and men at that time was, ‘You will not be believed if you come forward.’ “We are now at an age where women are saying, ‘Believe me. I’m not doing it for any other reason. I’m not making this up. Believe me.’ That’s what the #MeToo movement is about. “Will the United States Senate have gotten that message or not? Will we send a message again for possibly decades that if you speak up you will not be heard? You will not be believed. You will be harassed. You will be berated. I do not want that to be the message of this year.” In this interview, Patty Murray tells KUOW’s Angela King that without a federal investigation, the Senate can’t fully evaluate the allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, who said Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were in high school. Kavanaugh says the allegations are false. (KUOW: Sen. Patty Murray: Don’t let this be our Anita Hill moment ?09/20/18)
SEPTEMBER 19th:
Senator Murray shared several posts this week stressing the importance of believing assault survivors and urging her Senate Republican colleagues to treat Dr. Ford and her allegations against Judge Kavanaugh seriously, and with respect. Read the full release HERE.
Sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should be fully investigated, not subjected to a rushed Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and confirmation vote, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell said on Wednesday. “The FBI does this all the time, they should do it now,” said Murray. A “huge” reaction in the country can be expected, Murray argued, if Republicans ram through the nomination without vetting allegations made by Prof. Christine Blasey Ford. (S-PI: ‘Huge’ reaction if GOP rams through Kavanaugh—Murray, Cantwell ?09/19/19)
Senate Republicans are pushing to move forward with a hearing Monday on the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. However, Kavanaugh’s accuser wants an investigation first, and Senate Democrats, including Washington’s Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, are asking for a delay. “This is a test for the United States Senate on how we handle accusations of sexual assault and harassment,” said Senator Murray. “I’m hoping this time, this year, we pass that test.” Murray says she ran for U.S. Senate because of how Anita Hill was treated in 1991 after she brought forward sexual harassment allegations against then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Decades later, in the era of the #MeToo movement, victims say any accusation needs to be taken seriously. (KING: Washington Senators call for Kavanaugh sexual assault allegation investigation? 09/19/18)
SEPTEMBER 18th:
Senator Murray joined her Senate Democratic colleagues on Tuesday to urge Senate Republicans to conduct a robust investigation of the sexual assault allegations against Trump Supreme Court nominee Judge Kavanaugh.
You might think, then, that Senate Democrats would be pleased with how Flake, Collins, Murkowski, and others forced Grassley and McConnell’s hands into providing Ford the opportunity for a public hearing. Instead, at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Senate Democrats called the proposed hearing a “sham.” “Scheduling the hearing for Monday, a week from when Dr. Ford made her accusations public,” Washington Sen. Patty Murray said, “is a shameful attempt to jam this through without giving anyone the time they need to investigate and put together the questions that need to be asked.” (Slate: No One Really Wants This Hearing?09/18/18)
Senate Democrats slammed their GOP counterparts for scheduling what they described as a “sham” hearing on allegations of sexual assault levied against Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday, ripping them for refusing to allow corroborating witnesses. “We’re calling for an investigation, an assessment of the facts, for other witnesses to be heard from, and then have this hearing,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a member of Democratic leadership, told reporters Tuesday afternoon. (TPM: Democrats Decry ‘Sham’ Kavanaugh Hearing After GOP Refuses Additional Witnesses?09/18/18)
SEPTEMBER 17th:
Senator Murray delivered a speech on the Senate floor addressing the sexual assault allegations against Judge Kavanaugh and called on the Senate to delay his nomination process until the allegations are thoroughly investigated. Read the full release HERE.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is praising the “bravery” of Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, and indicates she believes the accuser and is “standing by her.” She decided to run for the U.S. Senate, 27 years ago, after watching the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the treatment meted out to law professor Anita Hill by male members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I can only imagine the trauma and and heartache involved in sharing and reliving a sexual assault like this,” Murray said in a statement. (S-PI: Sen. Murray believes, stands by, praises ‘bravery’ of Kavanaugh accuser?09/17/18)
Ford’s decision to come forward gave Democrats a round of ammunition just when it appeared that Kavanaugh would inevitably be confirmed in time for the Supreme Court’s upcoming term that begins in October. Sen. Patty Murray, who has previously said she decided to enter politics after watching the 1991 Anita Hill hearings during Thomas’ confirmation, joined those calling for a delay on the vote. “It’s not a debatable or difficult decision,” she said. “Whatever one may think about the timing of this new information, whatever one may think about the substance of it, and whatever one may think about Judge Kavanaugh as a nominee — the fact is that Senators now have new information about a potential crime committed by a nominee for the highest court in the land and an accuser who has come forward with details of the alleged criminal act.” [TIME: Brett Kavanaugh’s Accuser Now Has a Name. That’s Changed Everything? 09/16/18]
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