[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 157 (Monday, September 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I appreciate the majority leader's remarks 
in a wide variety of ways. What a great leader he is. We all should pay 
very strict attention to the way he handles himself and his seriousness 
about our U.S. Senate.
  Last night, Senate Democrats continued their smear campaign against 
Judge Brett Kavanaugh with a thinly sourced article that accuses Judge 
Kavanaugh of conduct that no eyewitness can even corroborate. Rather 
than having brought the matter to the attention of committee 
investigators, Democrats coordinated with the members of the media to 
drop the story in the most dramatic and damaging way possible. This 
continues the Senate Democrats' pattern of playing hide the ball--after 
having spent 6 weeks sitting on a letter regarding alleged conduct 
while Judge Kavanaugh was in high school--before leaking it to the 
press.
  Senate Democrats will stop at nothing to prevent Judge Kavanaugh's 
confirmation. As reported by the author of last night's article, the 
individual in the piece came forward only because Senate Democrats 
``came looking.'' Even then, the individual went on the record only 
after ``six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting 
with her attorney''--a former Democratic elected official. The New York 
Times, which declined to publish the allegations when approached, 
reported that it had interviewed ``several dozen people . . . in an 
attempt to corroborate the story'' and could find ``no one with 
firsthand knowledge.'' The Times further reported that the individual 
in the story had herself contacted former classmates in an effort to 
corroborate the story and had ``told some of them that she could not be 
certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.''
  Unsurprisingly, Senate Democrats are now using last night's article 
as an excuse to call for further delays. This follows the same approach 
they have taken since Judge Kavanaugh's nomination had first been 
announced. No innuendo has been too low, no insinuation too dirty. 
Everything is an excuse for delay no matter how unsubstantiated. It 
does not matter that no other eyewitness can even confirm that Judge 
Kavanaugh was at the party in question. It does not matter that every 
other individual alleged to be present denies any memory of the event. 
The goal is to delay--nothing new to most of us. It should be clear now 
to all Americans that Democrats are engaged in a coordinated effort to 
stop Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation by any means possible.
  As I have said before, every accuser deserves to be heard. Moreover, 
a person who has committed sexual assault should not serve on the U.S. 
Supreme Court. Yet the way my Democratic colleagues have approached 
these allegations makes clear that the driving objective here is not 
the truth but is politics. Rather than having worked with Republican 
colleagues to investigate Dr. Ford's allegations, they sat on them for 
6 weeks until the eve of Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation vote and then 
leaked them to the press. Rather than having brought last night's 
allegations to the attention of committee investigators, they back-
channeled them to the media and then denied any involvement. Such 
underhanded tactics are not fair to Judge Kavanaugh, are not fair to 
the individuals in the stories, and are not fair to the American 
people.
  Senate Democrats are demeaning both the Senate and the Supreme Court 
through their partisan games and transparent attempts at character 
assassination. As planned, we will hear and should hear from Dr. Ford 
on Thursday. Then we should vote, and there should be no frivolous 
approaches toward the U.S. Senate or toward this confirmation process.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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