AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride demanded to “hear the truth” about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s past.
McBride joined women leaders and activists on the steps of the Supreme Court on Monday to call for a full investigation after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the early 1980s.
“We have the time to conduct a fair, a thorough, and a nonpartisan process because the stakes are high. This is a lifetime appointment. The lives of women will be affected for decades. So what do we say to speeding this process? … We say, ‘No, hell no.’ We are here to say, let’s hear the truth,” McBride said.
She reiterated AFSCME’s opposition to Kavanaugh, underscoring that he has consistently “ruled for wealthy corporate interests against working women, against working people.”
“We stand for democracy in the workplace and in the nation. We stand for excellence in public service. And we stand for opportunity and freedom for all Americans … and that’s what every justice who serves on this court should be all about,” McBride said. “This nominee does not live up to our standards. He didn’t before. He certainly does not now.”
Bowing to pressure, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a public hearing for next Monday to more fully explore Dr. Ford’s allegations and to consider Kavanaugh’s explanation of what transpired at a high school party in the early 1980s. The panel was scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination this week.