During a press conference on Tuesday, Hawaii senator Mazie Hirono did not hold back her denunciation of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s handling of the allegations of sexual assault from Professor Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Blasey Ford alleges that when she was 15, she attended a house party with friends and not long into the party she was trapped inside a bedroom with Kavanaugh and his friend. Kavanuagh tried to forcibly remove her clothing and when she screamed for help, he placed his hand over her mouth to stop her.
Sen. Hirono, a member of the Judiciary Committee, called for the FBI to lead an investigation into these allegations before any testimonies from Kavanaugh or Ford are heard.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Hirono if having women on the committee would help and she fired back with, “Guess who’s perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? It’s the men in this country, “ she said. “And I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and and step up. Do the right thing….for a change.”
WATCH: Sen. Hirono: “Guess who's perpetuating all of these kinds of actions? It's the men in this country. I just want to say to the men in this country, just shut up! And step up.” pic.twitter.com/P0bA8d7ngb
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 19, 2018
The support for Blasey from Democratic senators has been outpouring. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, called it "shameful that the Senate Judiciary Committee plans on repeating the ugly piece of history by doing to Dr. Blasey Ford exactly what they did to Anita Hill,” USA Today reports.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has already delayed Kavanaugh’s hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday. The new hearing is scheduled for Monday.
