Supreme Court Nominee and Woman Accusing Him of Sexual Assault to Appear Before Senate

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has invited President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court and the woman who has accused him of sexual assault to a public hearing. The committee must vote on the nominee put forth by Donald Trump for the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial authority and the interpreter of the Constitution, consisting of nine justices. With the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, one seat has been vacant. In July, Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, a current federal judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, for this vacant seat. The vote on Mr. Trump's nominee was scheduled for Thursday, but the committee has now announced a hearing for September 24 to hear statements from Ms. Christine Blasey Ford and Mr. Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh is the second nominee Trump has put forward for the Supreme Court, and his selection could further increase the weight of conservatives in this judicial authority. Supreme Court justices serve for life. The Democratic Party, which is in the minority in the U.S. Senate, has been trying to block Judge Kavanaugh's appointment, but given that the majority is held by Republicans, these efforts have not been very successful. However, over the weekend, Ms. Christine Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old professor at the University of California, came forward and accused Mr. Kavanaugh of sexual assault in the early 1980s when they were both in high school. Ms. Ford stated that when she and Mr. Kavanaugh were high school students around Washington, Brett Kavanaugh attempted to attack her and remove her clothes. Christine Blasey Ford's attorney said, 'In my client's view, Mr. Kavanaugh's behavior was an attempt at rape, and if he had not been extremely drunk, he would have certainly raped Ms. Ford.' On the other hand, Brett Kavanaugh, in a statement released by the White House, said, 'This claim is completely false; I have never done anything with her or anyone else that she claims.' Judge Kavanaugh added in his statement, 'I am willing to speak to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way they prefer to deny these baseless claims from 36 years ago and defend my integrity.' In any case, the allegations and the surrounding reactions have drawn attention in Washington. These events occur at a time when the U.S. is approaching midterm elections. The midterm elections will be held in November of this year, with 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for election.