We believe survivors.
It’s difficult to come forward as a survivor of sexual assault. So difficult, in fact, that roughly 77 percent of assaults go unreported. The way Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has been treated should tell you why. Last week, Dr. Blasey Ford bravely shared allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when she was 15. Now, her request for an FBI investigation into the allegations has created a moment of reckoning for our lawmakers.
What our senators do next will determine whether they stand with or against survivors. Women can’t trust Brett Kavanaugh — and neither should anyone who considers themselves an ally to survivors or a champion for women.
Call your senators and demand an immediate stop to Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
We can’t allow senators to make the same mistakes they made with Anita Hill almost 30 years ago in the 1991 Senate hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It’s unbelievable that in 2018, and amid the wave of the #MeToo movement, we have to debate whether accusations of sexual assault are a disqualifier for serving on the Supreme Court.
Dr. Blasey Ford’s allegations only further cement our belief that Kavanaugh is unfit to serve as a Supreme Court justice.
Kavanaugh has proven, over and over again — both during his time as a judge as well as during his Senate hearings — that he doesn’t respect a woman’s right to control her own body.
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Just last year, he tried to block a young undocumented woman from access to safe, legal abortion — even though state law would have permitted it.
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He ruled to limit women’s access to birth control, arguing that bosses should control whether employees have birth control insurance coverage.
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He praised the dissent in Roe v. Wade — and counts as his hero a Supreme Court justice who said Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided.
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Contrary to what he told senators at his hearing, he wrote emails (which were later leaked to the public) suggesting Roe v. Wade isn’t settled law and can be overturned.
Far too many women have had experiences painfully similar to what Dr. Blasey Ford has shared. It’s no surprise that Dr. Blasey Ford has seen an outpouring of support from survivors and allies across the country — including a letter of support signed by almost 600 alumnae of her high school. What we’re seeing now is a rushed confirmation process, done without respect or consideration for Dr. Blasey Ford. We’re already hearing reports she’s getting inundated with death threats.
It's both chilling and reprehensible that many senators are openly dismissing Dr. Blasey Ford
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee — along with President Trump — have made clear they don’t take Dr. Blasey Ford’s allegations seriously.
"[Brett Kavanaugh], who I know very, very well, is an honest man, said this didn’t happen." — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
"We don’t know what happened 36 years ago, and there are gaps in her memory.” — Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
"It is imperative the Judiciary Committee move forward on the Kavanaugh nomination and a committee vote be taken as soon as possible." — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
“I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this. ...But I can only say this: He is such an outstanding man. Very hard for me to imagine that anything happened." — President Trump
It's shameful that Kavanaugh's nomination has been able to progress this far. Join us in calling our senators to demand that they refuse to put Kavanaugh's confirmation ahead of the millions of people who are survivors of sexual violence. We won't forget their choice.
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