Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Second Accuser Comes Out Against Kavanaugh As Ford Agrees To Testify This Week
The New York Times: Christine Blasey Ford Reaches Deal To Testify At Kavanaugh Hearing
The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers has committed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, setting up a potentially explosive confrontation unlike any seen in decades with the future of the Supreme Court at stake. (Stolberg and Fandos, 9/23)
The New Yorker: Senate Democrats Investigate A New Allegation Of Sexual Misconduct, From Brett Kavanaugh’s College Years
The claim dates to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University. The offices of at least four Democratic senators have received information about the allegation, and at least two have begun investigating it. Senior Republican staffers also learned of the allegation last week and, in conversations with The New Yorker, expressed concern about its potential impact on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Soon after, Senate Republicans issued renewed calls to accelerate the timing of a committee vote. (Farrow and Mayer, 9/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Kavanaugh Hearing Set As Accuser Commits To Testifying
On Sunday evening, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top Democrat, asked for an immediate postponement of the hearing after new allegations surfaced in an article in the New Yorker. Deborah Ramirez, a college classmate of Judge Kavanaugh, told the magazine that she remembered that Judge Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a drunken party when they were at Yale University. Judge Kavanaugh said in a statement Sunday that the alleged incident didn’t happen, and the White House said it stood by the nominee. Judge Kavanaugh said, “This is a smear, plain and simple.” (Peterson, Bykowicz and Nicholas, 9/24)
The Washington Post: Senate Judiciary Panel’s Top Democrat Calls For Delay In Kavanaugh Hearing After New Allegation
In her letter, Feinstein asked “that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims.” (Demirjian, Gardner and Kim, 9/23)
Politico: Kavanaugh Confirmation In Renewed Peril After Second Assault Claim
Importantly, Kavanaugh does not yet have the votes to be confirmed and several GOP senators are watching his reaction to the allegations closely. Privately, several Republicans said they were alarmed by the new allegations, but it was not yet clear whether the party will abandon Kavanaugh. The GOP will wait to see the reaction of Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bob Corker of Tennessee to assess whether they can proceed, according to a person familiar with caucus politics. (Everett, Schor and Korecki, 9/23)
CQ: For Kavanaugh, Two Important Swing Votes On Reproductive Issues
If both Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska vote no, it would likely sink the nomination should all Democrats hold together, but thus far they have not given any indication they would do so. Collins accepted his assertion that Roe is “settled law” despite evidence suggesting Kavanaugh would join with the conservative wing of the court to either partially or wholly strike down the decision. And over the years, both senators have carved out reputations as champions of abortion rights. (Miller, 9/24)
PBS NewsHour: Sexual Assault ‘Myths And Misinformation’ Could Muddy Kavanaugh Hearing, Psychologist Warns
President Trump’s tweet challenging Christine Blasey Ford’s claims because she didn’t report it when it happened set off alarms for survivors and advocates. In fact, most victims never report the sexual assault to law enforcement, says clinical psychologist Veronique Valliere. She joins Amna Nawaz to talks about the complexities of reporting sexual violence. (Nawaz, 9/21)
