“We believe Christine Blasey Ford. We believe survivors. We believe the Senate Republicans’ treatment of Dr. Ford has been shameful thus far. There is too much at stake in this confirmation process to not give this allegation its full weight and meaning. The allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Ford deserve a complete investigation and airing before any vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on his suitability for a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.

“Have we learned nothing from the hearing where Anita Hill was pilloried for her assertions of sexual harassment by now-Justice Clarence Thomas? We cannot go back and right the wrongs of 1991, but we can begin to heal the wounds of that injustice by treating Dr. Ford’s allegation with the serious and proper investigation it deserves. Anything less is a clear message to the American people – especially the young people watching this unfold – that not only is sexual abuse acceptable, but also that it will be rewarded. As a country, we are better than this.

“Sexual assault is not a partisan issue, and the drive to hastily set up a committee hearing as a she-said, he-said scenario undermines the assertions that we are supposedly in a new era of treating women’s allegations seriously. The negative impact that this treatment has on survivors across the country, actively discouraging them from coming forward due to fear of retribution and threats, is unacceptable. At a minimum, the Senate Judiciary Committee must conduct a non-partisan hearing informed by trauma experts after a complete FBI investigation.”