Cornyn: Senate Votes to Advance Kavanaugh Nomination

On the floor today, I discussed the successful vote to advance Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and detailed the shameful tactics used by Democrats to derail and destroy his nomination.

What the Senate just voted for was to end the games, character assassination, and the intimidation tactics that unfortunately have characterized so much of this confirmation process.

The FBI investigation was a useful way to demonstrate to the American people that none of these allegations that have been made against Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct have been proven.

There have been seven background investigations by the FBI of Judge Kavanaugh during his public service. The FBI has talked to more than 150 witnesses.

I feel badly for Dr. Ford in particular. She wanted none of this three-ring circus. She sent a letter to the ranking member and asked that her identity remain confidential, only to find, after the first confirmation hearing, that it was leaked to the press.

When we gave her an opportunity to have a bipartisan, professional investigation staff come out to California and interview her confidentially, she said, ‘nobody explained to me that was an option.’ Well, the lawyers that the ranking member referred her to apparently didn't even tell their own client that she had the opportunity to avoid this three-ring circus.

We decided that Dr. Ford should be given an opportunity to tell her side of the story.

Throughout the hearing, we listened to Dr. Ford and we tried to understand what she was telling us.

We took her allegations seriously and treated her the same way we would want our wives or our daughters treated.

But we know at the end of the day there was no other witness who could corroborate or confirm what she said, even the ones she identified as having been present.

The other thing about these allegations made against Judge Kavanaugh is they are completely out of character.

We all had a chance to read the FBI report which failed to corroborate Dr. Ford's allegations, and then today we did exactly what we needed to do, which is to vote. To stop the circus, stop the hijinks, stop the character assassination, and vote. So I’m glad our colleagues decided to close off debate.