PBS "News Hour" - Transcript: Sen. Leahy on Brett Kavanaugh Allegations: "Let's Get the Facts'
Interview
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Judy Woodruff:
So, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is one of the 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee calling for Chairman Chuck Grassley to postpone this week's committee vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination.
I spoke with him a short time ago, began by asking him if he is more inclined to believe Judge Kavanaugh or Dr. Ford.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
I think it's very courageous that somebody comes forward like this.
We know that she talked to a therapist about this years ago. She has come forward, willing to come forward publicly.
I was a prosecutor. I saw a lot of people who had been assaulted as younger women and have held it inside for years before they come forward. That's not unusual.
But let's find out both, for Judge Kavanaugh's sake and for Dr. Ford's sake. Let's find out what happened. Right now, the way they're trying to rush it privately, behind closed doors, is not fair to the process. It's not fair to the Senate.
But, mostly, it's not fair to the American people.
Judy Woodruff:
Senator, we heard Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican on the committee, say today that he believes Professor Ford is mixed up, suggesting that maybe she has the wrong person. Do you think that's possible?
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
He said that without even talking with her, without even knowing the facts.
Let's get the facts. Let's not speculate. I think, as another Republican senator, Jeff Flake, said, what is the rush? Let's get all the facts.
That's all I want. When I was a prosecutor, I dealt with facts. Here, we have got to deal with facts, because we're saying, depending on how we look at these facts, somebody could be on the Supreme Court for the rest of their life.
Think of the effect that has on 325 million Americans. At least for them, we ought to be doing it. But, also, as the dean of the United States Senate, I think it is an outrageous reflection on the U.S. Senate if we're not willing to take the time to get it right.
Judy Woodruff:
Do you believe, Senator, that Senator Feinstein could have handled this any differently, that she should have come forward to you, to other members of the committee sooner to share what she had?
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
I have known Senator Feinstein for a long time. She is a woman of great integrity.
I'm not sure what happened, as the complaint was made first to a member of the House of Representatives, then came to Senator Feinstein. I heard about it last week when I was managing an appropriations bill on the floor.
But no matter what the sequence was, let's get the facts. We can point fingers at Republicans or Democrats. That's irrelevant. The facts are the only things that are relevant. Let's get the -- let's take the time to do it.
Another week, another two weeks, what difference does it make if, in the end, we have the truth?
Judy Woodruff:
Senator, you are one of the very few members of the committee, Judiciary Committee, who were serving at the time of Clarence Thomas' confirmation to the Supreme Court, when Anita Hill made the allegations against him for sexual harassment.
People were not inclined to believe her then. That was, what, 27 years ago, in 1991. How have times changed? Is this a different time?
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
Well, as you may recall, I said publicly that I did believe her.
But I spent a lot of time listening to her, listening to what she had to say, listening to Clarence Thomas' reaction to it, looking at it, again, as I would have when I was a prosecutor. And I stated publicly, and I think some other senators did, that they believed Anita Hill.
And we should. Certainly, that should remind us to take the time to find out what the facts are. And, again, I would say Dr. Ford has shown a lot of courage. She could have just said, oh, the heck with it. I'm not going to come forward. Instead, she did.
Let's let her be heard.
Judy Woodruff:
Senator, just finally, if all goes as indicated right now, though, the Republicans plan to go ahead with this vote. What can Democrats do to stop them?
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
No more than we could stop them from the most outrageous, unprecedented thing, of blocking a Supreme Court nominee for a year, Merrick Garland, a man that most Republicans had said they would vote for.
It was pure partisanship. It damaged the United States Senate. It has been -- it will always be seen by historians as a shameful mark on the U.S. Senate. And this will be too if they rush it through.
Judy Woodruff:
Senator Patrick Leahy of the Senate Judiciary Committee, thank you very much.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.:
Thank you.
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