A CENTRAL TEXAS WOMAN TAKES THE SURVIVAL OF HER HOMETOWN POST OFFICE INTO HER OWN HANDS

0900 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG HEAD ON FS3 81 1100 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG HEAD ON FS3 82 UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HEARING: Nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (Day 5) Full Committee DATE: Thursday, September 27, 2018 TIME: 10:00 AM LOCATION: Dirksen Senate Office Building 226 PRESIDING: Chairman Chuck Grassley AGENDA: September 17, 2018 NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. September 21, 2018 POSTPONEMENT NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States scheduled to continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building has been postponed. By order of the Chairman. September 23, 2018 RESCHEDULED NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. MEMBER STATEMENTS: Senator Chuck Grassley (R - IA) WITNESSES: PANEL VI Professor Christine Blasey Ford, Ph.D. Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA PANEL VII The Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh Nominee to Serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Chevy Chase, MD 10:03 Christine Blasey Ford enters hearing room, takes seat 10:05:03 Senator Chuck Grassley This morning we continue our hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as associate justice supreme court. We will hear from two witnesses, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Thanks of course to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh for accepting our committee's invitation to testify and also thank them for volunteering to testify before we even invited. Both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have been through a terrible couple of weeks. They and their families have received vile threats. What they have endured ought to be considered by all of us as unacceptable and a poor reflection on the state of civility in our democracy. So I want to apologize to you both for the way you've been treated, and I intend hopefully for today's hearing, to be safe, comfortable, and dignified for both of our witnesses. 10:06:23 AM I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort of a show of civility. With that said, I lament that this hearing, how this hearing has come about. On July 9th 2018, the President announced Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh has served on the most important federal appellate court for 12 years. Before that, he held some of the most sensitive positions in the federal government. The president added Judge Kavanaugh to his short list of Supreme Court more than nine months ago in November 2017. As part of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, the FBI conducted its sixth full field 10:07:23 background investigations of Judge Kavanaugh since 1993, 25 years ago. Nowhere in any of these six FBI reports, which committee investigators have reviewed on a bipartisan basis. Was there a whiff of any issue. Any issue at all, related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior. Dr. Ford first raised her allegations in a secret letter to the ranking member two months ago. This letter was secret from July 30th September 13th -- no, July 30th -- September 13, when I first heard about it. The ranking member took no action. The letter wasn't shared with me your colleagues or my staff. These allegations could have 10:08:24 been investigated in a way that maintains the confidentiality that Dr. Ford requested. Before his hearing, Judge Kavanaugh met privately with 65 senators, including ranking member. But the ranking member didn't ask Judge Kavanaugh about the allegations when she met with him privately in August. The senate judiciary committee held its four day publication on September 4th to September 7th. Judge Kavanaugh testified for more than 32 hours in public. We held a closed session for members to ask sensitive questions the last evening, which the ranking member did not attend. If Judge Kavanaugh answered nearly 1300 written questions submitted by senators after the hearing. More prior nominees. Throughout this period, 10:09:24 AM We did not know about the ranking members of secret evidence. Then, only at the 11th hour, on the evening of Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation board, did the ranking member refer the allegations to the FBI. And then, sadly, the allegations were linked to the press. That is where Dr. Ford was mistreated. This is a shamble way to treat our witness, who insisted on confidentiality. And of course, Judge Kavanaugh, who has had to address these allegations, in the midst of a media circus. When I received Dr. Ford's letter on September the 13th, my staff and I recognized the seriousness of these allegations and immediately began our committee's investigation with the way the committee has handled such allegations in the past. 10:10:26 AM Every step of the way, the Democratic side refused to participate in what should have been a bipartisan investigation. As far as I know on all of our judgeships throughout at least the last four years or three years, that has been the way it has been handled. After Dr. Ford's identity became public, my staff contacted all the individuals she said attended the 1982 party described in "The Washington post" article. Judge Kavanaugh immediately submitted to an interview under penalty of Felony for any knowingly false statements. He denied the allegations categorically. Democratic staff was invited to participate and could have asked any questions they wanted to, but they declined. Which leads me, then, to wonder, if they're really concerned with going to the truth, why wouldn't you want to talk to the accused? The process and procedure is what the committee always does when we receive allegations of wrongdoing. My staff reached out to other individuals allegedly at the party - Mark Judge, Patrick Smith, Leyland Kaiser. All three submitted statements to the senate under penalty of felony, denying any knowledge of the events described by Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford's lifelong friend, 10:11:51 AM Ms. Kaiser, stated she doesn't know Judge Kavanaugh and doesn't recall ever attending a party with him. My staff made repeated requests to interview Dr. Ford during the past 11 days. Even volunteering to fly to California to take her testimony. But her attorneys refused to present her allegations to Congress. I nevertheless honored her request for a public hearing so Dr. Ford today has the opportunity to prevent her allegations under oath. As you can see, the judiciary committee was able to conduct thorough investigations into allegations -- thorough investigations into allegations. Some of my colleagues consistent with her stated desires to obstruct Kavanaugh's nomination by any means precisely - by any means necessary, pushed for FBI investigations into the allegations. But I have no authority to force 10:12:56 AM the Executive Branch agency to conduct an investigation into a matter it considers to be closed. Moreover, once the allegations become -- became public, it was easy to identify all of the alleged witnesses and conduct our own investigations. Contrary to what the public has been led to believe, the FBI doesn't perform any credibility assessments or verify the truth of any events in these background investigations. I'll quote then chairman Joe Biden during Justice Thomas' confirmation hearing. This is what Senator Biden said, quote, "the next person who refers to an FBI report as being worth anything obviously doesn't understand anything. The FBI explicitly does not in this or any other case reach a conclusion, period. 10:13:56 AM They say he said/she said/they said, period. So when people wave an FBI report before you, understand they do not. They do not, they do not reach conclusions. They do not make recommendations." End of Senator Biden's quote. The FBI provided us with the allegations. Now it's up to the senate to assess their credibility. Which brings us to this very time. I look forward to a fair and respectful hearing. That's what we promised Dr. Ford. Some of my colleagues have complained about the fact that an expert on this side is investigating sex crimes will be questioning the witness. I see no basis for complaint ot than just plain politics. The testimony we will hear today concerns allegations of sexual 10:15:13 AM assault, very serious allegations. This is an incredibly complex and sensitive subject to discuss. It's not an easy one to discuss. That is why the senators on this side of the dais believe an expert who has deep experience and training in interviewing victims of sexual assault and investigating sexual assault allegations should be asking questions. This will be a stark contrast to the grandstanding and chaos that we saw from the other side during the previous four days in this hearing process. I can think of no one better equipped to question the witnesses than Rachel Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell is a career prosecutor, civil servant with decades of experience investigating and prosecuting sex crimes. She has dedicated her career to seeking justice for survivors of sex-related felonies. Most recently, Rachel was a 10:16:15 AM division chief of the special victims division Maricopa county attorney's office. Which prosecutes sex crimes and family violence. Then democratic governor Janet Napolitano previously recognized her as the outstanding Arizona sexual assault prosecutor of the year. And she has spent years instructing prosecutors, detectives, and child protection workers on how to properly interview victims of sexual assault and abuse. With her aid, I look forward to a fair and productive hearing. I understand that there are two other public allegations. Today's hearing was scheduled in close consultation with Dr. Ford's attorneys. And her testimony will be the subject of this hearing. We have been trying to investigate other allegations. At this time, we have not had cooperation from attorneys 10:17:16 AM representing other clients. And they have made no attempt to substantiate their claims. My staff has tried to secure testimony and evidence from attorneys for both Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. My staff made eight requests. Yes, eight requests, for evidence from attorneys for Ms. Ramirez. And six requests for evidence for attorneys for Ms. Swetnick. Neither attorney has made their clients available for interview. The committee can't do an investigation if attorneys are stonewalling. I hope you all understand that we have attempted to seek additional information as we do a lot of times when there are holes in what we call the B.I. Reports. Additionally, all the witnesses 10:18:17 AM should know by when I say all the witnesses, I mean Dr. Ford and I mean judge Kavanaugh, all the witnesses should know they have the right under senate rule 26.5 to ask that the committee go into closed session if a question requires an answer that is a clear invasion of their right to privacy. If either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh feel that senate rule 26.5 ought to be involved, they should simply say so. Senator Feinstein. 10:18:37 SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'll make just a brief comment on your references to me. Yes, I did receive a letter from Dr. Ford. It was conveyed to me by a member of congress, Anna Eshoo. The next day I called Dr. Ford. We spoke on the phone. 10:19:01 AM She reiterated that she wanted this held confidential, and I held it confidential, up to a point where the witness was willing to come forward. And I think as I make my remarks, perhaps you'll see why. Because how women are treated in the United States with this kind of concern is really wanting a lot of reform. And I'll get to that for a minute, but in the meantime, good morning, Dr. Ford. Thank you for coming forward and being willing to share your story with us. I know this wasn't easy for you. But before you get to your testimony, and the chairman chose not to do this, I think it's important to make sure you're properly introduced -- 10:19:48 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> By the way, I was going to introduce her, but if you want to introduce her, I would be glad to have you do that. No I didn't forget to do that, because I would do that just as she was about to speak. 10:19:59 AM SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you. I have to say, when I saw your CV, I was extremely impressed. You have a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, chapel hill. Two masters degrees. One from Stanford and one from Pepperdine, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, better known to Senator Harris and I as USC. You are a professor affiliated with both Stanford University and Palo Alto University. You have published over 65 peer reviewed articles and have received numerous awards for your work and research. And as if that were not enough, you are a wife, a mother of two sons, and a constituent from California. So I am very grateful to you for your strength and your bravery in coming forward. I know it's hard. But before I turn it over, I want to say something about what is to be discussed today and where we are as a country. 10:21:03 AM Sexual violence is a serious problem. And one that largely goes unnoticed. In the United States, it's estimated by the centers for disease control, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. According to the rape abuse and incest national network, 60% of sexual assaults go unreported. In addition, when survivors do report their assaults, it's often years later due to the trauma they suffered and fearing their stories will not be last week, I received a letter from a 60-year-old California constituent who told me she survived an attempted rape at age 17. She described as being terrified and embarrassed. She never told a soul until much later in life. 10:22:20 AM The assault stayed with her for 43 years. I think it's important to remember these realities as we hear from Dr. Ford about her experience. There's been a great deal of public discussion about the me too movement today versus the year of the woman almost 27 years ago. But while young women are standing up and saying no more, our institutions have not progressed in how they treat women who come forward. Too often, women's memories and credibility come under assault. In essence, they are put on trial and forced to defend themselves. And often revictimized in the process. 27 years ago, I was walking through an airport when I saw a large group of people gathered around a TV to listen to Anita hill tell her story. 10:23:21 AM What I saw was an attractive woman in a blue suit before an all-male judiciary committee speaking of her experience of sexual harassment. She was treated badly, accused of lying, attacked, and her credibility put to the test throughout the process. Today, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has come forward to tell her story of being assaulted and fearing for her life when she was a teenager. Initially, as I said, Dr. Ford did not want to make her story public. Then, within 36 hours of coming forward, Republicans scheduled a hearing without talking to her or even inviting her to testify. She was told she had to show up or the committee would move forward with a vote. It took a public outcry from the 10:24:21 AM majority -- excuse me, for the majority to back down and give her even a few days to come before the committee. Republicans also scheduled this hearing with Dr. Ford without having her allegations investigated by the FBI. In 1991, Anita hill's allegations were reviewed by the FBI. As is the normal process and squarely within its jurisdiction. However, despite repeated requests, president trump and the Republicans have refused to take this routine step and direct the FBI to conduct an impartial investigation. This would clearly be the best way to insure a fair process to both Judge Kavanaugh and to in 1991, the senate heard from 10:25:22 AM 22 witnesses over three days. Today, while rejecting an FBI investigation, Republicans are refusing to hear testimony from any other witness. Including Mark Judge, who Dr. Ford identified as being in the room when the attack took place. And we believe Judge should be subpoenaed so the committee can hear from him directly. Republicans have also refused to call anyone who could speak to the evidence that would support or refute Dr. Ford's claim, and not one witness who could address credibility and character of either Ford or Kavanaugh has been called. What I find most inexcusable is this rush to judgment. The unwillingness to take these kinds of allegations at face value. 10:26:22 AM And look at them for what they are, a real question of character for someone who is asking for a lifetime appointment on the supreme court. In 1991, Republicans belittled professor hill's experience, saying, and I quote, it won't make a bit of difference in the outcome, end quote, and the burden of proof was on professor hill. Today, our Republican colleagues are saying this is a hiccup. Dr. Ford is mixed up, and declaring, I'll listen to the lady, but we're going to bring this to a close. What's worse, many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have also made it clear that no matter what happens today, the senate will plow right through and insure judge Kavanaugh would be elevated within a week. 10:27:23 AM In fact, on Tuesday, the majority went ahead and scheduled a vote on the nomination before we heard one word of testimony regarding allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh. Republican leadership even told senators they should plan to be in over this weekend so the nomination can be pushed through without delay. This is, despite the fact that in the last few days two more women have come forward with their own serious allegations of sexual assault involving Brett Kavanaugh. This past Sunday, we learned about Debbie Ramirez, who was a student at Yale with Brett Kavanaugh. She, too, did not want to come forward but after being approached by reporters, she told her story. She was at a college party where Kavanaugh exposed himself to her. She recalls pushing him away and 10:28:24 AM then seeing him laughing and pulling his pants up. Then yesterday, Judy Swetnick came forward to say she had experiences of being at house parties with Brett Kavanaugh and mark judge. She recounted seeing Kavanaugh engage, and I quote, in abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, end quote. Including attempts to, quote, remove or shift girls' clothing, end quote. Not taking, quote, no for an answer, grabbing girls, quote, without their consent, end and targeting, quote, particular girls so that they could be taken advantage of. End quote. Each of these stories are troubling on their own. And each of these allegations should be investigated by the FBI. All three women have said they 10:29:25 AM would like the FBI to investigate, please do so. All three have said they have other witnesses and evidence to corroborate their accounts. And yet Republicans continue to blindly push forward. So today, we're moving forward with a hearing and being asked to assess the credibility of Brett Kavanaugh. He's made several statements about how his focus was on school, basketball, service projects, and going to church. He declared that he, quote, never, end quote, drank so much he couldn't remember what happened. And he has, quote, always treated women with dignity and respect, end quote. While he's made these declarations, more and more people have come forward, challenging his characterization of events and behaviors. 10:30:26 AM James roach, his freshman roommate at Yale, stated, Kavanaugh was, and I quote again, frequently incoherently drunk, end quote. And that was when, quote, he became aggressive and belligerent, end quote, when he was drunk. Liz swisher, a friend of his from Yale, said, and I quote, there's no medical way I can say that he was blacked out, but it's not credible for him to say that he has no memory lapses in the nights that he drank to excess, end quote. Lynn brooks, a college classmate, said the picture Kavanaugh is trying to paint doesn't match her memories of him. And I quote, he's trying to paint himself as some kind of choir boy. You can't lie your way onto the supreme court. And with that statement out, he's gone too far. It's about the integrity of the 10:31:29 AM institution, end quote. Ultimately, members and ladies and gentlemen, I really think that's the point. We're here to decide whether to evaluate this nominee to the most prestigious court in our country. It's about the integrity of that institution and the integrity of this institution. The entire country is watching how we handle these allegations. I hope the majority changes their tactics, opens their mind, and seriously reflects on why we are here. We are here for one reason -- to determine whether judge Kavanaugh should be elevated to one of the most powerful positions in our country. This is not a trial of Dr. Ford. It's a job interview for judge Kavanaugh. Is Brett Kavanaugh who we want on the most prestigious court in our country? Is he the best we can do? 10:32:29 AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> I'm sorry you brought up about the unsubstantiated allegations of other people because we're here for the sole purpose of listening to Dr. Ford, and we'll consider other issues other times. I would like to have you rise so I can swear you. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god? Senator Chuck Grassley Thank you very much. Please be seated, and before you give your statement, I want to say that to everybody that she has asked for any time you ask for a break, you get a break. Any time there's something that need you don't have, just ask us. 10:33:29 AM And you can have as much time for your opening statement as you want. And just generally, let us know if there's any issues. Proceed, please. 10:33:31 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford >> Thank you, Senator Grassley. I think after I read my opening statement, I anticipate needing some caffeine if that is available. >> Okay. Could you pull the microphone just a little closer to you, please. >> Okay. >> Can the whole box go a little closer? >> That's what I'm trying, senator. No. >> I'll lean forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Is this good? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, Chairman Grassley and ranking member Feinstein, members of the committee. My name is Christine Blasey Ford. I'm a Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of 10:34:32 AM medicine. I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school. I have described the events publicly before. I summarized them in my letter to ranking member Feinstein, and again in a letter to chairman Grassley. I understand and appreciate the importance of your hearing for me directly about what happened to me and the impact it has had on my life and on my family. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I attended the Holton arms school in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1978 to 1984. Holton arms is an all-girls 10:35:32 AM school that opened in 1901. During my time at the school, girls at Holton arms frequently met and became friendly with boys from all boys schools in the area, including the Landon school, Georgetown prep, Gonzaga high school, as well as our country clubs and other places where kids and families socialized. 103538 This is how I met Brett Kavanaugh, the boy who sexually assaulted me. During my freshman and sophomore school years, when I was 14 and 15 years old, my group of friends intersected with Brett and his friends for a short period of time. I had been friendly with a classmate of Brett's for a short time during my freshman and sophomore year. And it was through that connection that I attended a number of parties that Brett also attended. 103608 We did not know each other well, but I knew him and he knew me. In the summer of 1982, like most 10:36:33 AM Summers, I spent most every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, swimming and practicing diving. One evening that summer, after a day of diving at the club, I attended a small gathering at a house in the Bethesda area. There were four boys I remember specifically being at the house. Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, a boy named P.J., and one other boy whose name I cannot recall. I also remember my friend Leyland attending. I do not remember all of the details of how that gathering came together, but like many that summer, it was almost surely a spur of the moment I truly wish I could be more helpful with more detailed answers to all of the questions that have and will be asked about how I got to the party and where it took place and so forth. I don't have all the answers, and I don't remember as much as I would like to. 10:37:34 AM But the details about that night that bring me here today are the ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult. When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room/family room type area on the first floor of the house. 103742 I drank one beer. Brett and Mark were visibly early in the evening, I went up a very narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the restroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom across from the bathroom. I couldn't see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by 10:38:35 AM either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding into me. I yelled, hoping that someone downstairs might hear me. And I tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. 103843 Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was very inebriated and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit underneath my clothing. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. 10:39:35 AM Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time. Mark seemed ambivalent, at times urging Brett on. At times telling him to stop. A couple of times, I made eye contact with mark and thought he might try to help me. But he did not. During this assault, mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. And the last time he did this, we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room, directly across from the bedroom was a small bathroom. I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door. I waited until I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom, laughing and loudly walked down the narrow stairway, pinballing off the walls on the way down. 10:40:22 AM I waited, and when I did not hear them come back up the stairs, I left the bathroom, went down the same stairwell, through the living room, and left the house. I remember being on the street and feeling an enormous sense of relief that I escaped that house and that Brett and Mark were not coming outside after me. 104043 Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life for a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone these details. I did not want to tell my parents that I at age 15 was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys .I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and just pretend that it didn't happen. Over the years, I told very, very few friends that I had this 10:41:20 AM traumatic experience. I told my husband before we were married that I had experienced a sexual assault. I had never told the details to anyone, the specific details, until May 2012 during a Couple's Counseling session. The reason this came up in counseling is that my husband and I had completed a very extensive, very long remodel of our home, and I insisted on a second front door, an idea that he and others disagreed with and could not understand. In explaining why I wanted a second front door, I began to describe the assault in detail. I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the U.S. Supreme Court and spoke a bit about his background at an elitist all-boys school in Bethesda, Maryland. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh. 10:42:23 AM After that May 2012 therapy session, I did my best to ignore the memories of the assault because recounting them caused me to relive the experience and caused panic and anxiety. Occasionally, I would discuss the assault in an individual therapy session but talking about it caused more reliving of the trauma, so I tried not to think about it or discuss it. But over the years, I went through periods where I thought about the attack. I had confided in some close friends that I had had experience with sexual assault. Occasionally, I stated that my assailant was a prominent lawyer or judge but I did not use his name. I do not recall each person I spoke to about Brett's assault, and some friends have reminded me of these conversations since the publication of "The Washington Post" story on September 16th, 2018. But until July 2018, I had never 10:43:26 AM named Mr. Kavanaugh as my attacker outside of therapy. This changed in early July 2018. I saw press reports stating that Brett Kavanaugh was on the short list of a list of very well qualified Supreme Court nominees. I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr. Kavanaugh's conduct so that those considering his nomination would know about this assault. On July 6th, I had a sense of urgency to relay the information to the Senate and the President as soon as possible before a nominee was selected. I did not know how specifically to do this. I called my Congressional representative and let her receptionist know that someone on the President's short list had attacked me. I also sent a message to the encrypted "Washington post" confidential tip line. I did not use my name, but I 10:44:28 AM provided the names of Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. I stated that Mr. Kavanaugh had assaulted me in the 1980s in Maryland. This was an extremely hard thing for me to do. But I felt that I couldn't not do it. Over the next two days, I told a couple of close friends on the beach in Aptos, California that Mr. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted me. I was very conflicted as to whether to speak out. On July 9th, I received a return phone call from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo after Mr. Kavanaugh had become the nominee. I met with her staff on July 18th, and with her on July 20th, describing the assault and discussing my fears about coming forward. Later, we discussed the possibility of sending a letter to ranking member Feinstein, who is one of my state senators, 10:45:30 AM describing what occurred. My understanding is that Representative Eshoo's office delivered a copy my letter to Mrs. Feinstein's office. The letter included my name and also a request that it remain confidential. My hope was providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh's serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family, or anyone's family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy that we have faced since my name became public. In a letter dated August 31st, senator Feinstein wrote that she would not share the letter without my explicit consent. And I appreciated this commitment. 104622 Sexual assault victims should be able to decide for themselves when and whether their private experience is made public. 10:46:31 AM As the hearing date got closer, I struggled with a terrible choice. Do I share the facts with the Senate and put myself and my family in the public spotlight or do I preserve our privacy and allow the senate to make its decision without knowing the full truth of his past behaviors? I agonized daily with this decision throughout August and September of 2018. The sense of duty that originally motivated me to reach out confidentially to "The Washington Post" and to Anna Eshoo's office when there was still a list of extremely qualified candidates and to Senator Feinstein was always there, but my fears of the consequences of speaking out started to exponentially increase. During August 2018, the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh's confirmation was virtually 10:47:31 AM certain. Persons painted him as a champion of women's rights and empowerment. And I believed if I came forward, my single voice would be drowned out by a chorus of powerful supporters. By the time of the confirmation hearings, I had resigned myself to remaining quiet. And letting the committee and the senate make their decision without knowing what Mr. Kavanaugh had done to me. Once the press started reporting on the existence of the letter I had sent to Senator Feinstein, I faced mounting pressure. Reporters appeared at my home and at my workplace, demanding information about the letter in the presence of my graduate students. They called my bosses and coworkers and left me many messages, making it clear that my name would inevitably be released to the media. I decided to speak out publicly to a journalist who had originally responded to the tip 10:48:35 AM I had sent to "The Washington post" and who had gained my trust. It was important for me to describe the details of the assault in my own words. Since September 16th, the date of "The Washington post" story, I have experienced an outpouring of support from people in every state of this country. Thousands and thousands of people who have had their lives dramatically altered by sexual violence have reached out to share their experience and have thanked me for coming forward. We have received tremendous support from our friends and our at the same time, 104915 my greatest fears have been realized and the reality has been far worse than what I expected. My family and I have been the target of constant harassment and death threats. And I have been called the most vile and hateful names imaginable. These messages while far fewer 10:49:35 AM than the expressions of support, have been terrifying and have rocked me to my core. People have posted my personal information and that of my parents online on the internet. This has resulted in anal e-mails, calls, and threats. My family and I were forced to move out of our home. Since September 16th, my family and I have been visiting in various secure locales, at times separated and at times together, with the help of security guards. This past Tuesday evening, my work e-mail was hacked and messages were sent out trying to recant my description of the sexual assault. Apart from the assault itself, these past couple of weeks have been the hardest of my life. I have had to relive this trauma in front of the world. And I have seen my life picked apart by people on television, on Twitter, on other social 10:50:35 AM media, other media, and in this body who have never met me or spoken with me. 105040 I have been accused of acting out of partisan political motives. Those who say that do not know me. I am an independent person, and I am no one's pawn. My motivation in coming forward was to be helpful and to provide facts about how Mr. Kavanaugh's actions have damaged my life so that you could take into a serious consideration as you make your decision about how to proceed. It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the supreme court. My responsibility is to tell you the truth. I understand that a professional prosecutor has been hired to ask me questions, and I'm committed to doing my very best to answer them. I have never been questioned by a prosecutor and I'll do my best. At the same time, because the 10:51:37 AM committee members will be judging my credibility, I do hope to be able to engage directly with each of you, and at this point, I will do my best to answer your questions. And would request some caffeine. >> A coke or something? Dr. Ford >> That sounds good. Great. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Thank you very much. Before I use my five minutes of questioning, I thought that I would try to remind my colleagues, and in this case, Ms. Mitchell as well, that the five minutes, the way I traditionally have done, if you ask a question before your time runs out, and even though you go over your time, as long as you aren't filibustering, I'll let you ask your question. And I'm going to make sure that both Dr. Ford and Dr. Ford and 10:52:40 AM Judge Kavanaugh as chairman of the committee, I know they're going to get a chance to answer the questions fully beyond that five minutes. But when that -- when either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh gets done, then we immediately go to the next person. So I hope that that will be done, and Dr. Ford, I'm told that you want to break right if you do, that's fine. Dr. Ford >> I'm okay, I got the coffee. Thank you very much. I think I can proceed and sip on the coffee. Sen. Grassley >> Nobody can mix up my coffee right, so I -- so you're pretty fortunate. So now, with that, Ms. Mitchell, you have my five minutes to ask questions. Rachel Mitchell >> Good morning, Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford >> Hi. Rachel Mitchell >> We haven't met. My name is Rachel Mitchell. Dr. Ford >> Nice to meet you. Rachel Mitchell >> I just wanted to tell you the 10:53:56 AM first thing that struck me from your statement this morning was that you were terrified. I just wanted to let you know, that's not right. I know this is stressful. And so I would like to set forth some guidelines that maybe will alleviate that a little bit. If I ask you a question that you don't understand, please ask me to clarify it. Or ask it in a different way. When I ask questions, sometimes I'll refer back to other information you have provided. If I do that and I get it wrong, please correct me. Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> I'm not going to ask you to guess. I know it was a long time ago. If you do estimate, please let me know that you're estimating, okay? Christine Blasey Ford >> Fair. Rachel Mitchell >> We have put before you, and I'm sure you have copies of them anyway, five pieces of information, and I wanted to go over them. The first is a screen shot of a 10:54:59 AM WhatsApp texting between you and somebody at "The Washington post." Do you have that in front of you? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> The first two texts were sent by you on July 6th, is that correct? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Then the last one sent by you was on July 10th? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Are those three comments accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I will read them, yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time. Christine Blasey Ford >> So there's one correction. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I have misused the word bystander as an adjective. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> Bystander means someone looking at an assault, and the person named P.J. Was not technically a bystander. I was writing very quickly, a sense of urgency, so I would not call him a bystander. He was downstairs, and you know, what I remember of him was he was a tall and very nice person. 10:56:00 AM Christine Blasey Ford I didn't know him well, but he was downstairs, not anywhere near the event. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I would like to take that word out if it's possible. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. The second is the letter that you wrote to senator Feinstein dated July 30th of this year. Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Did you write the letter yourself? Christine Blasey Ford >> I did. Rachel Mitchell >> And I -- since it's dated July 30th, did you write it on that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> I believe so. It sounds right. I was in rehoboth, Delaware, at I could look into my calendar and try to figure that out. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it written on or about that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Yes. I traveled I think the 26th of July to rehoboth, Delaware, so that makes sense because I wrote it from there. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, is the letter accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I'll take a minute to read it. I can read fast. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time 10:57:59 AM Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. So I have three areas that I would like to address. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> In the second paragraph, where it says the assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home. Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Christine Blasey Ford >> At a gathering that included me and four others, I can't guarantee that there weren't a few other people there, but they are not in my purview of my Rachel Mitchell >> Would it be fair to say there were at least four others? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. What's the second correction? Christine Blasey Ford >> Oh, okay. The next sentence begins with Kavanaugh physically pushed me into the bedroom. I would say I can't promise that mark judge didn't me to interrupt, but I want to keep people within five minutes. Is that a major problem for you in the middle of a question? 10:59:00 AM Sen. Grassley Because I don't -- we have to -- I've got to treat everybody the same. Rachel Mitchell >> I understand that. Sen. Grassley >> Can I go to Senator Feinstein? Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I didn't see the light was red. Sen. Grassley >> Senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> I didn't get to -- >> We'll come back to that. Dr. Ford >> I see. Okay. Okay. Sen. Grassley >> For the benefit of Dr. Ford, I think she'll continue that after the five minutes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Sen. Feinstein >> Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by putting some letters in the record. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> You want to tell me. Sen. Feinstein >> 140 letters from friends and neighbors of the witness. And 1,000 female physicians across the country. Those are what the letters are. I want to thank you very much 10:59:45 AM for your testimony. I know how very, very hard it is. Why have you held it to yourself all these years, as you look back, can you indicate what the reasons are? Dr. Ford >> Well, I haven't held it in all these years. I did disclose it in the confines of therapy where I felt like it was an appropriate place to cope with the sequelae of the event. 110016 Sen. Feinstein >> Could you tell us what impact the events had on you? Dr. Ford >> Um, well, I think that the sequelae of sexual assault varies by person. For me, personally, anxiety, phobia, and PTSD-like symptoms are the types of things I have been coping with. So more specifically, Claustrophobia, panic, and that type of thing. 11:00:44 AM Sen. Feinstein >> Is that the reason for the second door front door? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Sen. Feinstein >> Claustrophobia? Dr. Ford >> Correct. It doesn't -- Our house does not look aesthetically pleasing from the curb. Sen. Feinstein >> I see. And do you have that second front door? Dr. Ford >> Yes, now it's a place to host Google interns. We live near Google, so we have other students. Sen. Feinstein >> Can you tell us, is there any other way this has affected your life? Dr. Ford >> The primary impact was in the initial four years after the event. I struggled academically. I struggled very much in chapel hill, in college. When I was 17 andt off to college, I had a very hard time, more so than others, forming new friendships and especially friendships with boys. And I had academic problems. 11:02:05 AM Sen. Feinstein >> What -- when we spoke and it became very clear how deeply you felt about this and the need that you wanted to remain confidential, can you talk a little bit about that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. So I was watching carefully throughout the summer -- well, my original intent, I want to remind, was to communicate with everyone when there was still a list of candidates who all seemed to be just from my perspective, from what I could read, equally qualified. And I was in a hurry to try to get the information forward but didn't quite know how to do that. However, once he was selected and it seemed like he was popular and that it wasn't a sure vote, I was calculating daily the risk benefit for me of coming forward and wondering whether I would just be jumping in front of a train that was headed to where it was headed anyway and that I would just be 11:03:07 AM personally annihilated. Sen. Feinstein >> How did you decide to come Dr. Ford >> Ultimately, because reporters were sitting outside of my home trying to talk to my dog through the window. To calm the dog down. And a reporter appeared in my graduate classroom, and I mistook her for a student. And she came up to ask me a question, and I thought that she was a student, and it turned out she was a reporter. So at that point, I felt like enough was enough. People were calling my colleagues at Stanford and leaving messages on their voice mails and on their e-mails saying that they knew my name. Clearly people knew my address because they were out in front of my house, and it just -- the mounting pressure seemed like it was time to just say what I needed to say. 110345 Sen. Feinstein >> I'm sorry. I want to ask you one question about the attack itself. 11:04:11 AM You are very clear about the attack, being pushed into the room. You say you don't know quite by whom, but that it was Brett Kavanaugh that covered your mouth to prevent you from screaming. And then you escaped. How are you so sure that it was he? Dr. Ford >> The same way I'm sure I'm talking to you right now. Basic memory functions. And also just the level of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain that sort of, as you know, encodes that neurotransmitter encodes memories into the hippocampus so the trauma related experience is locked there where as other details kind of drift. 110444 Sen. Feinstein >> So what you're telling us is this could not be a case of mistaken identity. Dr. Ford >> Absolutely not. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Ms. Mitchell for Senator 11:05:14 AM Hatch. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we were stopped, you were going to tell us a third correction that you wanted to make on that statement, or I'm sorry, the letter to senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> It wasn't a correction, but I wanted to comment on it since we were looking at this letter. That I did see mark judge once at the Potomac village safe way after the time of the attack, and it would be helpful with anyone's resources if to figure out when he worked there, if people are wanting more details from me about when the attack occurred, if we could find out when he worked there, then I could provide a more detailed timeline as to when the attack occurred. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, and that -- so that is not a correction in your statement. Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You also wrote out a hand-written statement for the morning, have you told us everything that you remember about the day leading up to that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Let me ask just a few questions to make sure you have thought of everything, okay. You indicated that you were at the country club swimming that day. Dr. Ford >> That's my best estimate of how this could have happened. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And when you say best estimate, is that based on the fact that you said you went there pretty much every day. Dr. Ford >> Mm-hmm. Rachel Mitchell >> Is that a yes? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall prior to getting there, so I'm only talking about up to the gathering, had you had anything to drink? Dr. Ford >> Not at all. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you on any sort of medication? Dr. Ford >> None. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall knowing before you went who was going to be at that gathering? 11:08:01 AM Dr. Ford >> I recall that expecting that Mark Judge and Leyland would be at that gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall an expectation that Brett Kavanaugh would be there? Dr. Ford >> I don't recall whether or not I expected that. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, let's talk about the gathering up from the time you arrived till when you went up the stairs, just that period of time, okay? What was the atmosphere like at the gathering? Dr. Ford >> Um, Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge were extremely inebriated. They had clearly been drinking prior, and the other people at the party were not. Rachel Mitchell >> Can I ask you just to follow up on that? When you said it was clear they had been drinking prior, do you mean prior to the time you had gotten there or prior to the time they had arrived? Dr. Ford >> Prior to the time that they arrived. I don't recall who arrived first 11:09:03 AM though. Whether it was me or them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Please continue. Dr. Ford >> Okay. So I recall that I could -- I can sketch a floor plan. I recall that it was a sparsely furnished, fairly modest living room. And it was not really a party like the news has made it sound. It was just a gathering that I assumed was going to lead to a party later on that those boys would attend because they tended to have parties later at night than I was allowed to stay out. So it was kind of a pre-gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it loud? Dr. Ford >> No. Not in the living room. Rachel Mitchell >> Besides the music that you have described that was playing in the bedroom, was there any other music or television or anything like that that was adding? Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> So there wasn't a stereo playing downstairs? Dr. Ford >> No. 11:10:02 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> Senator Leahy. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Dr. Ford, thank you for being here. Mr. Chairman, you know, the way to make this inquiry truly credible is to do what we have always done when new information of a nominee comes to light. To use your words this morning, you want to reach the truth. The easy way to do that, ask the FBI to investigate. It's what we have always done. Let them investigate, report back to us. The same applies to the serious allegations made by Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. Let's have a nonpartisan, professional investigation. And then take the time to have these witnesses testify. Chairman, you and I were both here 27 years ago. At that time, the senate failed Anita Hill. I said I believed her. But I'm concerned that we're doing a lot less for these three 11:11:04 AM women today. That's my personal view. 111106 Now, Dr. Ford, no matter what happens with this hearing today, no matter what happens with this nomination, I know and I hear from so many of my own state of Vermont, 111117 there are millions of victims and survivors out there who have been inspired by your courage. I am. Bravery is contagious. Indeed, that's the driving force behind the Me Too movement. And you sharing your story is going to have a lasting positive impact on so many survivors in our country. We owe you a debt of gratitude for that, doctor. Now, some senators have suggested you were simply mixed up about who assaulted you. An ally of judge Kavanaugh in the White House even promoted a wild theory about a Cavanaugh lookalike. You immediately rejected that 11:12:01 AM theory. As did the innocent man who had been called that look alike. In fact, he sent a letter to this committee forcibly rejecting this absurd theory. I ask consent to enter that in the record. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Without objection. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Now, how did you know Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge? Is it possible that you would mix them up with somebody else? Dr. Ford >> No, it is not. And the person that was blamed for the incident is actually the person who introduced me to them originally. So he was a member of Columbia country club, and I don't want to talk about him because I think it's unfair, but he is the person that introduced me to them. Senator Patrick Leahy >> But you would not mix up somebody else with Brett Kavanaugh, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Or Mark Judge? Dr. Ford >> Correct. 111258 Senator Patrick Leahy >> Then let's go back to the incident. What is the strongest memory you have? The strongest memory of the incident? Something that you cannot forget. Take whatever time you need. Dr. Ford >> Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter. The uproarious laughter between the two. And their having fun at my expense. Senator Patrick Leahy >> You have never forgotten that laughter. Never forgotten them laughing at you. Dr. Ford >> They were laughing with each other. Senator Patrick Leahy >> And you were the object of the laughter? Dr. Ford >> I was, you know, underneath one of them while the two laughed. Two friends having a really good time with one another. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Let me enter into the record a statement by the National task 11:14:05 AM force to end domestic violence. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> A letter from 24 members of the house of representatives urging the committee to use the trauma approach in questioning Dr. Ford. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection. Sen. Leahy >> And a letter from another 116 members of the house asking to delay until all of this has been heard. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford has at times been criticized for what she doesn't remember from 36 years but we have numerous experts that say lapses of memory are wholly consistent with severe trauma and stress of assault. I would ask consent that be entered. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford, I'll just conclude with this. You do remember what happened, do you not? Dr. Ford >> Very much so. 11:15:21 AM Sen. Leahy >> Thank you. Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> Now Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham, and then it's my understanding that that's where you would like to take a break. Dr. Ford >> Does that work for you? Does that work for you as well? Sen. Grassley >> We're here to accommodate you. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. I'm used to being collegial. Sen. Grassley >> Go ahead. Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You told senator Feinstein in your letter that you and four others were present. You have corrected that today to say it was at least four others. When you were interviewed by "The Washington post," you said that there were four boys present at the party. And then in your polygraph statement, you say there were four boys and two girls. When you say two girls, was that you and another or was that two other girls? Dr. Ford >> That was me and one other girl. Rachel Mitchell >> And that other girl's name? 11:16:22 AM Dr. Ford >> Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Leyland Kaiser now? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. So then would it be fair to say at least P.J., Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, Leyland Ingram at the time, and yourself were present and possibly others? Dr. Ford >> And one other boy, so there were four boys. I just don't know the name of the other boy. 111633 Rachel Mitchell >> Have you been contacted by anybody saying, hey, I was at that party too? Dr. Ford >> No, I haven't talked with anyone from that party. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, you've been detailed about what happened once you got up the stairs. And so I don't need to go through that again. I'm sorry, go ahead. Dr. Ford >> I'm sorry, I just realized I said something that was inaccurate. I said I hadn't spoken with anyone from the party since that day. I have spoken with Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, thank you for 11:17:23 AM correcting that. I appreciate that. Rachel Mitchell >> You have gone into detail about what happened once you went up the stairs so I don't feel like it's necessary to go over those things again. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Thank you. Rachel Mitchell >> Have you told us everything that you do remember about it? Dr. Ford >> I believe so, but if there are other questions, I can attempt to answer them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. >> You said that the music was solely coming from that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And it was turned up once the three of you were inside that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. At some point, do you recall it being turned down? Dr. Ford >> I don't remember if it was turned down once I was leaving the house. I don't remember. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> Likely, since I could hear them walking down the stairs very clearly from the bathroom. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And the bathroom door was closed when you heard this, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I could hear them very clearly hitting the walls going down the stairwell. 11:18:24 AM Rachel Mitchell >> In fact, in your letter, you said that they went down the stairs and they were talking with other people in the house. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you able to hear that conversation? Dr. Ford >> I was not able to hear that conversation, but I was aware they were downstairs and that I would have to walk past them to get out of the house. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now let me make sure we're on the same page. Were you not able to hear the conversation or not able to understand the conversation? Dr. Ford >> I couldn't hear the conversation. I was upstairs. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, how do you know there was a conversation? Dr. Ford >> Just assuming since it was a social gathering people were talking. I don't know. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> I heard them talking as they went down the stairwell. They were laughing. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. In your letter, you wrote both loudly stumbled down the stairwell, at which point, other persons at the house were talking with them. Does that ring a bell? Dr. Ford >> Yes, I had to walk past everyone to leave the house, so -- 11:19:26 AM >> Maybe I'm not understanding, I'm sorry. Rachel Mitchell >> Your next sentence, let me try to clarify this. After you said other persons at the house were talking with them, the letter goes on with the very next sentence, I exited the bathroom, ran out of the house, and went home. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You said that you do not remember how you got home, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I do not remember, other than I did not drive home. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. I'm going to show you, if somebody could provide to you a map of the various people's houses at the time, and if you could verify that this is where you were living at the time. Dr. Ford >> Where I was living at the Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> Mr. Chairman, do we have a copy of these documents? Sen. Grassley >> We do not have a copy. I assume if you want one, we could give you one. 11:20:27 AM Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, before the questions begin so we could follow the testimony. Sen. Grassley >> My staff says we should not provide the copy. Oh, we will -- speak plainly with me, please. >> Sure. I would like to see what she's looking at. >> You have another 30 seconds now because I was rudely interrupted. >> Okay. Mr. Chairman, senator Harris, we do have a blown-up copy of this for members view, if that's helpful. >> Okay. I'm going to put check marks next to homes that I can confirm are the correct locations. And then an X or a question mark when I don't know where these people live. >> I'm only asking you to confirm if that map accurately shows where you were living at the time. >> Where I lived at the time. I can't see the street name, but I'm happy to refer to the address or neighborhood. >> Could you tell us that? >> Yes, river falls. 11:21:27 AM Near the, like -- what is the place called? The naval research center on Clara Barton parkway. >> Was that a house or an >> My parents' home. >> Okay. All right. >> Senator Durbin. >> Mr. Chairman, I ask consent to enter into the record letters of support for Dr. Ford from her classmates at Holton arms school, 1200 alumni of the school, 195 of your colleague, students, and mentors, 1400 men and women who attended D.C. Schools, and 15 members of the Yale law school faculty calling for a full FBI investigation. I ask consent to enter these into record. >> Without objection, so Sen. Durbin >> As difficult as this experience must be, I want you to know your courage in coming forward has given countless Americans the strength to face their own life-shattering past and begin to heal their wounds. By example, you have brought many families into an honest and sometimes painful dialogue that 11:22:14 AM should have occurred a long time ago. I'll sorry for what this has done to you and your family. No one, no one should face harassment, death threats, and disparaging comments by cheap shot politicians simply for telling the truth. You and your family should know that for every scurrilous charge and every pathetic tweet, there have been thousands of Americans, women and men, who believe you, support you, and thank you for your courage. Watching your experience, it's no wonder that many sexual assault survivors hide their past and spend their lives suffering in pained silence. You had absolutely nothing to gain by bringing these facts to the senate judiciary committee. The fact that you are testifying here today, terrified though you may be, the fact that you have called for an FBI investigation of this incident, the fact that you are prepared to name both Judge Kavanaugh and eyewitness Mark Judge, stands in sharp contrast to the obstruction we have seen on the other side. 11:23:16 AM The FBI should have investigated your charges as they did in the Anita Hill hearing, but they did not. Mark Judge should be subpoenaed from his Bethany beach hideaway and required to testify under oath, but he has not. Judge Kavanaugh, if he truly believes there's no evidence, no witnesses that can prove your case, should be joining us in demanding a thorough FBI investigation. But he has not. 112345 Today, you come before this committee and before this nation alone. I know you're joined by counsel and family. The prosecutor on the Republican side will continue to ask questions to test your memory and veracity. After spending decades trying to forget that awful night, it's no wonder your recollection is less than perfect. A polished liar can create a seamless story, but a trauma survivor cannot be expected to remember every painful detail. 11:24:15 AM That's what Senator Leahy has mentioned earlier. One question is critical. In Judge Kavanaugh's opening testimony, which we'll hear after you leave, this is what he says: "I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time." Last night, the Republican staff of this committee released to the media a timeline that shows that they have interviewed two people who claim they were the ones who actually assaulted you. I'm asking you to address this new defense of mistaken identity directly. 112457 Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you? Dr. Ford >> 100%. Sen. Durbin >> 100%. In the letter which you sent to Dr -- or Senator Feinstein, you wrote, "I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault. I did see Mark Judge once at the 11:25:17 AM Potomac Village safeway where he was extremely uncomfortable in seeing me. 112521 Would you please describe that encounter at the safeway with Mark Judge and what led you to believe he was uncomfortable? Dr. Ford >> Yes. I was going to the Potomac Village safeway, this was the one on the corner of Falls and River road. And I was with my mother. And I was a teenager, so I wanted her to go in one door and me go in the other. So I chose the wrong door because the door I chose was the one where Mark Judge was -- looked like he was working there. And arranging the shopping carts. And I said hello to him. And his face was white. And very uncomfortable saying hello back. And we had previously been friendly at the times we saw each other over the previous two 11:26:17 AM years. Albeit, not many times, we had always been friendly with one another. I wouldn't characterize him as not friendly. He was just nervous and not really wanting to speak with me. He looked a little bit ill. Sen. Durbin >> How long did this occur after the incident? Dr. Ford >> I would estimate six to eight Sen. Durbin >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Before we take a break, I can't let what Durbin, Senator Durbin said, by the way, he's my friend. We work on a lot of legislation together, but you talked about the obstruction from the other side. I cannot let it go by, what you have heard me say so many times, that between July 30th and September 13th, there were 45 days this committee could have been investigating this situation, and her privacy would have been protected. So something happened here in between on your side that the whole country -- not the whole 11:27:19 AM country should have known about it, no, not know about. We should have investigated it. We'll take a break now for 15 minutes.

FR3 / France 3

0900 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG DEM FS2 80 1100 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG DEM FS2 84 UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HEARING: Nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (Day 5) Full Committee DATE: Thursday, September 27, 2018 TIME: 10:00 AM LOCATION: Dirksen Senate Office Building 226 PRESIDING: Chairman Chuck Grassley AGENDA: September 17, 2018 NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. September 21, 2018 POSTPONEMENT NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States scheduled to continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building has been postponed. By order of the Chairman. September 23, 2018 RESCHEDULED NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. MEMBER STATEMENTS: Senator Chuck Grassley (R - IA) WITNESSES: PANEL VI Professor Christine Blasey Ford, Ph.D. Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA PANEL VII The Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh Nominee to Serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Chevy Chase, MD 10:03 Christine Blasey Ford enters hearing room, takes seat 10:05:03 Senator Chuck Grassley This morning we continue our hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as associate justice supreme court. We will hear from two witnesses, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Thanks of course to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh for accepting our committee's invitation to testify and also thank them for volunteering to testify before we even invited. Both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have been through a terrible couple of weeks. They and their families have received vile threats. What they have endured ought to be considered by all of us as unacceptable and a poor reflection on the state of civility in our democracy. So I want to apologize to you both for the way you've been treated, and I intend hopefully for today's hearing, to be safe, comfortable, and dignified for both of our witnesses. 10:06:23 AM I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort of a show of civility. With that said, I lament that this hearing, how this hearing has come about. On July 9th 2018, the President announced Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh has served on the most important federal appellate court for 12 years. Before that, he held some of the most sensitive positions in the federal government. The president added Judge Kavanaugh to his short list of Supreme Court more than nine months ago in November 2017. As part of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, the FBI conducted its sixth full field 10:07:23 background investigations of Judge Kavanaugh since 1993, 25 years ago. Nowhere in any of these six FBI reports, which committee investigators have reviewed on a bipartisan basis. Was there a whiff of any issue. Any issue at all, related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior. Dr. Ford first raised her allegations in a secret letter to the ranking member two months ago. This letter was secret from July 30th September 13th -- no, July 30th -- September 13, when I first heard about it. The ranking member took no action. The letter wasn't shared with me your colleagues or my staff. These allegations could have 10:08:24 been investigated in a way that maintains the confidentiality that Dr. Ford requested. Before his hearing, Judge Kavanaugh met privately with 65 senators, including ranking member. But the ranking member didn't ask Judge Kavanaugh about the allegations when she met with him privately in August. The senate judiciary committee held its four day publication on September 4th to September 7th. Judge Kavanaugh testified for more than 32 hours in public. We held a closed session for members to ask sensitive questions the last evening, which the ranking member did not attend. If Judge Kavanaugh answered nearly 1300 written questions submitted by senators after the hearing. More prior nominees. Throughout this period, 10:09:24 AM We did not know about the ranking members of secret evidence. Then, only at the 11th hour, on the evening of Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation board, did the ranking member refer the allegations to the FBI. And then, sadly, the allegations were linked to the press. That is where Dr. Ford was mistreated. This is a shamble way to treat our witness, who insisted on confidentiality. And of course, Judge Kavanaugh, who has had to address these allegations, in the midst of a media circus. When I received Dr. Ford's letter on September the 13th, my staff and I recognized the seriousness of these allegations and immediately began our committee's investigation with the way the committee has handled such allegations in the past. 10:10:26 AM Every step of the way, the Democratic side refused to participate in what should have been a bipartisan investigation. As far as I know on all of our judgeships throughout at least the last four years or three years, that has been the way it has been handled. After Dr. Ford's identity became public, my staff contacted all the individuals she said attended the 1982 party described in "The Washington post" article. Judge Kavanaugh immediately submitted to an interview under penalty of Felony for any knowingly false statements. He denied the allegations categorically. Democratic staff was invited to participate and could have asked any questions they wanted to, but they declined. Which leads me, then, to wonder, if they're really concerned with going to the truth, why wouldn't you want to talk to the accused? The process and procedure is what the committee always does when we receive allegations of wrongdoing. My staff reached out to other individuals allegedly at the party - Mark Judge, Patrick Smith, Leyland Kaiser. All three submitted statements to the senate under penalty of felony, denying any knowledge of the events described by Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford's lifelong friend, 10:11:51 AM Ms. Kaiser, stated she doesn't know Judge Kavanaugh and doesn't recall ever attending a party with him. My staff made repeated requests to interview Dr. Ford during the past 11 days. Even volunteering to fly to California to take her testimony. But her attorneys refused to present her allegations to Congress. I nevertheless honored her request for a public hearing so Dr. Ford today has the opportunity to prevent her allegations under oath. As you can see, the judiciary committee was able to conduct thorough investigations into allegations -- thorough investigations into allegations. Some of my colleagues consistent with her stated desires to obstruct Kavanaugh's nomination by any means precisely - by any means necessary, pushed for FBI investigations into the allegations. But I have no authority to force 10:12:56 AM the Executive Branch agency to conduct an investigation into a matter it considers to be closed. Moreover, once the allegations become -- became public, it was easy to identify all of the alleged witnesses and conduct our own investigations. Contrary to what the public has been led to believe, the FBI doesn't perform any credibility assessments or verify the truth of any events in these background investigations. I'll quote then chairman Joe Biden during Justice Thomas' confirmation hearing. This is what Senator Biden said, quote, "the next person who refers to an FBI report as being worth anything obviously doesn't understand anything. The FBI explicitly does not in this or any other case reach a conclusion, period. 10:13:56 AM They say he said/she said/they said, period. So when people wave an FBI report before you, understand they do not. They do not, they do not reach conclusions. They do not make recommendations." End of Senator Biden's quote. The FBI provided us with the allegations. Now it's up to the senate to assess their credibility. Which brings us to this very time. I look forward to a fair and respectful hearing. That's what we promised Dr. Ford. Some of my colleagues have complained about the fact that an expert on this side is investigating sex crimes will be questioning the witness. I see no basis for complaint ot than just plain politics. The testimony we will hear today concerns allegations of sexual 10:15:13 AM assault, very serious allegations. This is an incredibly complex and sensitive subject to discuss. It's not an easy one to discuss. That is why the senators on this side of the dais believe an expert who has deep experience and training in interviewing victims of sexual assault and investigating sexual assault allegations should be asking questions. This will be a stark contrast to the grandstanding and chaos that we saw from the other side during the previous four days in this hearing process. I can think of no one better equipped to question the witnesses than Rachel Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell is a career prosecutor, civil servant with decades of experience investigating and prosecuting sex crimes. She has dedicated her career to seeking justice for survivors of sex-related felonies. Most recently, Rachel was a 10:16:15 AM division chief of the special victims division Maricopa county attorney's office. Which prosecutes sex crimes and family violence. Then democratic governor Janet Napolitano previously recognized her as the outstanding Arizona sexual assault prosecutor of the year. And she has spent years instructing prosecutors, detectives, and child protection workers on how to properly interview victims of sexual assault and abuse. With her aid, I look forward to a fair and productive hearing. I understand that there are two other public allegations. Today's hearing was scheduled in close consultation with Dr. Ford's attorneys. And her testimony will be the subject of this hearing. We have been trying to investigate other allegations. At this time, we have not had cooperation from attorneys 10:17:16 AM representing other clients. And they have made no attempt to substantiate their claims. My staff has tried to secure testimony and evidence from attorneys for both Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. My staff made eight requests. Yes, eight requests, for evidence from attorneys for Ms. Ramirez. And six requests for evidence for attorneys for Ms. Swetnick. Neither attorney has made their clients available for interview. The committee can't do an investigation if attorneys are stonewalling. I hope you all understand that we have attempted to seek additional information as we do a lot of times when there are holes in what we call the B.I. Reports. Additionally, all the witnesses 10:18:17 AM should know by when I say all the witnesses, I mean Dr. Ford and I mean judge Kavanaugh, all the witnesses should know they have the right under senate rule 26.5 to ask that the committee go into closed session if a question requires an answer that is a clear invasion of their right to privacy. If either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh feel that senate rule 26.5 ought to be involved, they should simply say so. Senator Feinstein. 10:18:37 SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'll make just a brief comment on your references to me. Yes, I did receive a letter from Dr. Ford. It was conveyed to me by a member of congress, Anna Eshoo. The next day I called Dr. Ford. We spoke on the phone. 10:19:01 AM She reiterated that she wanted this held confidential, and I held it confidential, up to a point where the witness was willing to come forward. And I think as I make my remarks, perhaps you'll see why. Because how women are treated in the United States with this kind of concern is really wanting a lot of reform. And I'll get to that for a minute, but in the meantime, good morning, Dr. Ford. Thank you for coming forward and being willing to share your story with us. I know this wasn't easy for you. But before you get to your testimony, and the chairman chose not to do this, I think it's important to make sure you're properly introduced -- 10:19:48 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> By the way, I was going to introduce her, but if you want to introduce her, I would be glad to have you do that. No I didn't forget to do that, because I would do that just as she was about to speak. 10:19:59 AM SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you. I have to say, when I saw your CV, I was extremely impressed. You have a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, chapel hill. Two masters degrees. One from Stanford and one from Pepperdine, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, better known to Senator Harris and I as USC. You are a professor affiliated with both Stanford University and Palo Alto University. You have published over 65 peer reviewed articles and have received numerous awards for your work and research. And as if that were not enough, you are a wife, a mother of two sons, and a constituent from California. So I am very grateful to you for your strength and your bravery in coming forward. I know it's hard. But before I turn it over, I want to say something about what is to be discussed today and where we are as a country. 10:21:03 AM Sexual violence is a serious problem. And one that largely goes unnoticed. In the United States, it's estimated by the centers for disease control, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. According to the rape abuse and incest national network, 60% of sexual assaults go unreported. In addition, when survivors do report their assaults, it's often years later due to the trauma they suffered and fearing their stories will not be last week, I received a letter from a 60-year-old California constituent who told me she survived an attempted rape at age 17. She described as being terrified and embarrassed. She never told a soul until much later in life. 10:22:20 AM The assault stayed with her for 43 years. I think it's important to remember these realities as we hear from Dr. Ford about her experience. There's been a great deal of public discussion about the me too movement today versus the year of the woman almost 27 years ago. But while young women are standing up and saying no more, our institutions have not progressed in how they treat women who come forward. Too often, women's memories and credibility come under assault. In essence, they are put on trial and forced to defend themselves. And often revictimized in the process. 27 years ago, I was walking through an airport when I saw a large group of people gathered around a TV to listen to Anita hill tell her story. 10:23:21 AM What I saw was an attractive woman in a blue suit before an all-male judiciary committee speaking of her experience of sexual harassment. She was treated badly, accused of lying, attacked, and her credibility put to the test throughout the process. Today, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has come forward to tell her story of being assaulted and fearing for her life when she was a teenager. Initially, as I said, Dr. Ford did not want to make her story public. Then, within 36 hours of coming forward, Republicans scheduled a hearing without talking to her or even inviting her to testify. She was told she had to show up or the committee would move forward with a vote. It took a public outcry from the 10:24:21 AM majority -- excuse me, for the majority to back down and give her even a few days to come before the committee. Republicans also scheduled this hearing with Dr. Ford without having her allegations investigated by the FBI. In 1991, Anita hill's allegations were reviewed by the FBI. As is the normal process and squarely within its jurisdiction. However, despite repeated requests, president trump and the Republicans have refused to take this routine step and direct the FBI to conduct an impartial investigation. This would clearly be the best way to insure a fair process to both Judge Kavanaugh and to in 1991, the senate heard from 10:25:22 AM 22 witnesses over three days. Today, while rejecting an FBI investigation, Republicans are refusing to hear testimony from any other witness. Including Mark Judge, who Dr. Ford identified as being in the room when the attack took place. And we believe Judge should be subpoenaed so the committee can hear from him directly. Republicans have also refused to call anyone who could speak to the evidence that would support or refute Dr. Ford's claim, and not one witness who could address credibility and character of either Ford or Kavanaugh has been called. What I find most inexcusable is this rush to judgment. The unwillingness to take these kinds of allegations at face value. 10:26:22 AM And look at them for what they are, a real question of character for someone who is asking for a lifetime appointment on the supreme court. In 1991, Republicans belittled professor hill's experience, saying, and I quote, it won't make a bit of difference in the outcome, end quote, and the burden of proof was on professor hill. Today, our Republican colleagues are saying this is a hiccup. Dr. Ford is mixed up, and declaring, I'll listen to the lady, but we're going to bring this to a close. What's worse, many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have also made it clear that no matter what happens today, the senate will plow right through and insure judge Kavanaugh would be elevated within a week. 10:27:23 AM In fact, on Tuesday, the majority went ahead and scheduled a vote on the nomination before we heard one word of testimony regarding allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh. Republican leadership even told senators they should plan to be in over this weekend so the nomination can be pushed through without delay. This is, despite the fact that in the last few days two more women have come forward with their own serious allegations of sexual assault involving Brett Kavanaugh. This past Sunday, we learned about Debbie Ramirez, who was a student at Yale with Brett Kavanaugh. She, too, did not want to come forward but after being approached by reporters, she told her story. She was at a college party where Kavanaugh exposed himself to her. She recalls pushing him away and 10:28:24 AM then seeing him laughing and pulling his pants up. Then yesterday, Judy Swetnick came forward to say she had experiences of being at house parties with Brett Kavanaugh and mark judge. She recounted seeing Kavanaugh engage, and I quote, in abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, end quote. Including attempts to, quote, remove or shift girls' clothing, end quote. Not taking, quote, no for an answer, grabbing girls, quote, without their consent, end and targeting, quote, particular girls so that they could be taken advantage of. End quote. Each of these stories are troubling on their own. And each of these allegations should be investigated by the FBI. All three women have said they 10:29:25 AM would like the FBI to investigate, please do so. All three have said they have other witnesses and evidence to corroborate their accounts. And yet Republicans continue to blindly push forward. So today, we're moving forward with a hearing and being asked to assess the credibility of Brett Kavanaugh. He's made several statements about how his focus was on school, basketball, service projects, and going to church. He declared that he, quote, never, end quote, drank so much he couldn't remember what happened. And he has, quote, always treated women with dignity and respect, end quote. While he's made these declarations, more and more people have come forward, challenging his characterization of events and behaviors. 10:30:26 AM James roach, his freshman roommate at Yale, stated, Kavanaugh was, and I quote again, frequently incoherently drunk, end quote. And that was when, quote, he became aggressive and belligerent, end quote, when he was drunk. Liz swisher, a friend of his from Yale, said, and I quote, there's no medical way I can say that he was blacked out, but it's not credible for him to say that he has no memory lapses in the nights that he drank to excess, end quote. Lynn brooks, a college classmate, said the picture Kavanaugh is trying to paint doesn't match her memories of him. And I quote, he's trying to paint himself as some kind of choir boy. You can't lie your way onto the supreme court. And with that statement out, he's gone too far. It's about the integrity of the 10:31:29 AM institution, end quote. Ultimately, members and ladies and gentlemen, I really think that's the point. We're here to decide whether to evaluate this nominee to the most prestigious court in our country. It's about the integrity of that institution and the integrity of this institution. The entire country is watching how we handle these allegations. I hope the majority changes their tactics, opens their mind, and seriously reflects on why we are here. We are here for one reason -- to determine whether judge Kavanaugh should be elevated to one of the most powerful positions in our country. This is not a trial of Dr. Ford. It's a job interview for judge Kavanaugh. Is Brett Kavanaugh who we want on the most prestigious court in our country? Is he the best we can do? 10:32:29 AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> I'm sorry you brought up about the unsubstantiated allegations of other people because we're here for the sole purpose of listening to Dr. Ford, and we'll consider other issues other times. I would like to have you rise so I can swear you. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god? Senator Chuck Grassley Thank you very much. Please be seated, and before you give your statement, I want to say that to everybody that she has asked for any time you ask for a break, you get a break. Any time there's something that need you don't have, just ask us. 10:33:29 AM And you can have as much time for your opening statement as you want. And just generally, let us know if there's any issues. Proceed, please. 10:33:31 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford >> Thank you, Senator Grassley. I think after I read my opening statement, I anticipate needing some caffeine if that is available. >> Okay. Could you pull the microphone just a little closer to you, please. >> Okay. >> Can the whole box go a little closer? >> That's what I'm trying, senator. No. >> I'll lean forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Is this good? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, Chairman Grassley and ranking member Feinstein, members of the committee. My name is Christine Blasey Ford. I'm a Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of 10:34:32 AM medicine. I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school. I have described the events publicly before. I summarized them in my letter to ranking member Feinstein, and again in a letter to chairman Grassley. I understand and appreciate the importance of your hearing for me directly about what happened to me and the impact it has had on my life and on my family. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I attended the Holton arms school in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1978 to 1984. Holton arms is an all-girls 10:35:32 AM school that opened in 1901. During my time at the school, girls at Holton arms frequently met and became friendly with boys from all boys schools in the area, including the Landon school, Georgetown prep, Gonzaga high school, as well as our country clubs and other places where kids and families socialized. 103538 This is how I met Brett Kavanaugh, the boy who sexually assaulted me. During my freshman and sophomore school years, when I was 14 and 15 years old, my group of friends intersected with Brett and his friends for a short period of time. I had been friendly with a classmate of Brett's for a short time during my freshman and sophomore year. And it was through that connection that I attended a number of parties that Brett also attended. 103608 We did not know each other well, but I knew him and he knew me. In the summer of 1982, like most 10:36:33 AM Summers, I spent most every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, swimming and practicing diving. One evening that summer, after a day of diving at the club, I attended a small gathering at a house in the Bethesda area. There were four boys I remember specifically being at the house. Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, a boy named P.J., and one other boy whose name I cannot recall. I also remember my friend Leyland attending. I do not remember all of the details of how that gathering came together, but like many that summer, it was almost surely a spur of the moment I truly wish I could be more helpful with more detailed answers to all of the questions that have and will be asked about how I got to the party and where it took place and so forth. I don't have all the answers, and I don't remember as much as I would like to. 10:37:34 AM But the details about that night that bring me here today are the ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult. When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room/family room type area on the first floor of the house. 103742 I drank one beer. Brett and Mark were visibly early in the evening, I went up a very narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the restroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom across from the bathroom. I couldn't see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by 10:38:35 AM either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding into me. I yelled, hoping that someone downstairs might hear me. And I tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. 103843 Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was very inebriated and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit underneath my clothing. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. 10:39:35 AM Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time. Mark seemed ambivalent, at times urging Brett on. At times telling him to stop. A couple of times, I made eye contact with mark and thought he might try to help me. But he did not. During this assault, mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. And the last time he did this, we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room, directly across from the bedroom was a small bathroom. I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door. I waited until I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom, laughing and loudly walked down the narrow stairway, pinballing off the walls on the way down. 10:40:22 AM I waited, and when I did not hear them come back up the stairs, I left the bathroom, went down the same stairwell, through the living room, and left the house. I remember being on the street and feeling an enormous sense of relief that I escaped that house and that Brett and Mark were not coming outside after me. 104043 Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life for a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone these details. I did not want to tell my parents that I at age 15 was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys .I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and just pretend that it didn't happen. Over the years, I told very, very few friends that I had this 10:41:20 AM traumatic experience. I told my husband before we were married that I had experienced a sexual assault. I had never told the details to anyone, the specific details, until May 2012 during a Couple's Counseling session. The reason this came up in counseling is that my husband and I had completed a very extensive, very long remodel of our home, and I insisted on a second front door, an idea that he and others disagreed with and could not understand. In explaining why I wanted a second front door, I began to describe the assault in detail. I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the U.S. Supreme Court and spoke a bit about his background at an elitist all-boys school in Bethesda, Maryland. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh. 10:42:23 AM After that May 2012 therapy session, I did my best to ignore the memories of the assault because recounting them caused me to relive the experience and caused panic and anxiety. Occasionally, I would discuss the assault in an individual therapy session but talking about it caused more reliving of the trauma, so I tried not to think about it or discuss it. But over the years, I went through periods where I thought about the attack. I had confided in some close friends that I had had experience with sexual assault. Occasionally, I stated that my assailant was a prominent lawyer or judge but I did not use his name. I do not recall each person I spoke to about Brett's assault, and some friends have reminded me of these conversations since the publication of "The Washington Post" story on September 16th, 2018. But until July 2018, I had never 10:43:26 AM named Mr. Kavanaugh as my attacker outside of therapy. This changed in early July 2018. I saw press reports stating that Brett Kavanaugh was on the short list of a list of very well qualified Supreme Court nominees. I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr. Kavanaugh's conduct so that those considering his nomination would know about this assault. On July 6th, I had a sense of urgency to relay the information to the Senate and the President as soon as possible before a nominee was selected. I did not know how specifically to do this. I called my Congressional representative and let her receptionist know that someone on the President's short list had attacked me. I also sent a message to the encrypted "Washington post" confidential tip line. I did not use my name, but I 10:44:28 AM provided the names of Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. I stated that Mr. Kavanaugh had assaulted me in the 1980s in Maryland. This was an extremely hard thing for me to do. But I felt that I couldn't not do it. Over the next two days, I told a couple of close friends on the beach in Aptos, California that Mr. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted me. I was very conflicted as to whether to speak out. On July 9th, I received a return phone call from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo after Mr. Kavanaugh had become the nominee. I met with her staff on July 18th, and with her on July 20th, describing the assault and discussing my fears about coming forward. Later, we discussed the possibility of sending a letter to ranking member Feinstein, who is one of my state senators, 10:45:30 AM describing what occurred. My understanding is that Representative Eshoo's office delivered a copy my letter to Mrs. Feinstein's office. The letter included my name and also a request that it remain confidential. My hope was providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh's serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family, or anyone's family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy that we have faced since my name became public. In a letter dated August 31st, senator Feinstein wrote that she would not share the letter without my explicit consent. And I appreciated this commitment. 104622 Sexual assault victims should be able to decide for themselves when and whether their private experience is made public. 10:46:31 AM As the hearing date got closer, I struggled with a terrible choice. Do I share the facts with the Senate and put myself and my family in the public spotlight or do I preserve our privacy and allow the senate to make its decision without knowing the full truth of his past behaviors? I agonized daily with this decision throughout August and September of 2018. The sense of duty that originally motivated me to reach out confidentially to "The Washington Post" and to Anna Eshoo's office when there was still a list of extremely qualified candidates and to Senator Feinstein was always there, but my fears of the consequences of speaking out started to exponentially increase. During August 2018, the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh's confirmation was virtually 10:47:31 AM certain. Persons painted him as a champion of women's rights and empowerment. And I believed if I came forward, my single voice would be drowned out by a chorus of powerful supporters. By the time of the confirmation hearings, I had resigned myself to remaining quiet. And letting the committee and the senate make their decision without knowing what Mr. Kavanaugh had done to me. Once the press started reporting on the existence of the letter I had sent to Senator Feinstein, I faced mounting pressure. Reporters appeared at my home and at my workplace, demanding information about the letter in the presence of my graduate students. They called my bosses and coworkers and left me many messages, making it clear that my name would inevitably be released to the media. I decided to speak out publicly to a journalist who had originally responded to the tip 10:48:35 AM I had sent to "The Washington post" and who had gained my trust. It was important for me to describe the details of the assault in my own words. Since September 16th, the date of "The Washington post" story, I have experienced an outpouring of support from people in every state of this country. Thousands and thousands of people who have had their lives dramatically altered by sexual violence have reached out to share their experience and have thanked me for coming forward. We have received tremendous support from our friends and our at the same time, 104915 my greatest fears have been realized and the reality has been far worse than what I expected. My family and I have been the target of constant harassment and death threats. And I have been called the most vile and hateful names imaginable. These messages while far fewer 10:49:35 AM than the expressions of support, have been terrifying and have rocked me to my core. People have posted my personal information and that of my parents online on the internet. This has resulted in anal e-mails, calls, and threats. My family and I were forced to move out of our home. Since September 16th, my family and I have been visiting in various secure locales, at times separated and at times together, with the help of security guards. This past Tuesday evening, my work e-mail was hacked and messages were sent out trying to recant my description of the sexual assault. Apart from the assault itself, these past couple of weeks have been the hardest of my life. I have had to relive this trauma in front of the world. And I have seen my life picked apart by people on television, on Twitter, on other social 10:50:35 AM media, other media, and in this body who have never met me or spoken with me. 105040 I have been accused of acting out of partisan political motives. Those who say that do not know me. I am an independent person, and I am no one's pawn. My motivation in coming forward was to be helpful and to provide facts about how Mr. Kavanaugh's actions have damaged my life so that you could take into a serious consideration as you make your decision about how to proceed. It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the supreme court. My responsibility is to tell you the truth. I understand that a professional prosecutor has been hired to ask me questions, and I'm committed to doing my very best to answer them. I have never been questioned by a prosecutor and I'll do my best. At the same time, because the 10:51:37 AM committee members will be judging my credibility, I do hope to be able to engage directly with each of you, and at this point, I will do my best to answer your questions. And would request some caffeine. >> A coke or something? Dr. Ford >> That sounds good. Great. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Thank you very much. Before I use my five minutes of questioning, I thought that I would try to remind my colleagues, and in this case, Ms. Mitchell as well, that the five minutes, the way I traditionally have done, if you ask a question before your time runs out, and even though you go over your time, as long as you aren't filibustering, I'll let you ask your question. And I'm going to make sure that both Dr. Ford and Dr. Ford and 10:52:40 AM Judge Kavanaugh as chairman of the committee, I know they're going to get a chance to answer the questions fully beyond that five minutes. But when that -- when either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh gets done, then we immediately go to the next person. So I hope that that will be done, and Dr. Ford, I'm told that you want to break right if you do, that's fine. Dr. Ford >> I'm okay, I got the coffee. Thank you very much. I think I can proceed and sip on the coffee. Sen. Grassley >> Nobody can mix up my coffee right, so I -- so you're pretty fortunate. So now, with that, Ms. Mitchell, you have my five minutes to ask questions. Rachel Mitchell >> Good morning, Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford >> Hi. Rachel Mitchell >> We haven't met. My name is Rachel Mitchell. Dr. Ford >> Nice to meet you. Rachel Mitchell >> I just wanted to tell you the 10:53:56 AM first thing that struck me from your statement this morning was that you were terrified. I just wanted to let you know, that's not right. I know this is stressful. And so I would like to set forth some guidelines that maybe will alleviate that a little bit. If I ask you a question that you don't understand, please ask me to clarify it. Or ask it in a different way. When I ask questions, sometimes I'll refer back to other information you have provided. If I do that and I get it wrong, please correct me. Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> I'm not going to ask you to guess. I know it was a long time ago. If you do estimate, please let me know that you're estimating, okay? Christine Blasey Ford >> Fair. Rachel Mitchell >> We have put before you, and I'm sure you have copies of them anyway, five pieces of information, and I wanted to go over them. The first is a screen shot of a 10:54:59 AM WhatsApp texting between you and somebody at "The Washington post." Do you have that in front of you? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> The first two texts were sent by you on July 6th, is that correct? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Then the last one sent by you was on July 10th? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Are those three comments accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I will read them, yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time. Christine Blasey Ford >> So there's one correction. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I have misused the word bystander as an adjective. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> Bystander means someone looking at an assault, and the person named P.J. Was not technically a bystander. I was writing very quickly, a sense of urgency, so I would not call him a bystander. He was downstairs, and you know, what I remember of him was he was a tall and very nice person. 10:56:00 AM Christine Blasey Ford I didn't know him well, but he was downstairs, not anywhere near the event. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I would like to take that word out if it's possible. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. The second is the letter that you wrote to senator Feinstein dated July 30th of this year. Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Did you write the letter yourself? Christine Blasey Ford >> I did. Rachel Mitchell >> And I -- since it's dated July 30th, did you write it on that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> I believe so. It sounds right. I was in rehoboth, Delaware, at I could look into my calendar and try to figure that out. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it written on or about that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Yes. I traveled I think the 26th of July to rehoboth, Delaware, so that makes sense because I wrote it from there. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, is the letter accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I'll take a minute to read it. I can read fast. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time 10:57:59 AM Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. So I have three areas that I would like to address. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> In the second paragraph, where it says the assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home. Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Christine Blasey Ford >> At a gathering that included me and four others, I can't guarantee that there weren't a few other people there, but they are not in my purview of my Rachel Mitchell >> Would it be fair to say there were at least four others? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. What's the second correction? Christine Blasey Ford >> Oh, okay. The next sentence begins with Kavanaugh physically pushed me into the bedroom. I would say I can't promise that mark judge didn't me to interrupt, but I want to keep people within five minutes. Is that a major problem for you in the middle of a question? 10:59:00 AM Sen. Grassley Because I don't -- we have to -- I've got to treat everybody the same. Rachel Mitchell >> I understand that. Sen. Grassley >> Can I go to Senator Feinstein? Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I didn't see the light was red. Sen. Grassley >> Senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> I didn't get to -- >> We'll come back to that. Dr. Ford >> I see. Okay. Okay. Sen. Grassley >> For the benefit of Dr. Ford, I think she'll continue that after the five minutes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Sen. Feinstein >> Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by putting some letters in the record. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> You want to tell me. Sen. Feinstein >> 140 letters from friends and neighbors of the witness. And 1,000 female physicians across the country. Those are what the letters are. I want to thank you very much 10:59:45 AM for your testimony. I know how very, very hard it is. Why have you held it to yourself all these years, as you look back, can you indicate what the reasons are? Dr. Ford >> Well, I haven't held it in all these years. I did disclose it in the confines of therapy where I felt like it was an appropriate place to cope with the sequelae of the event. 110016 Sen. Feinstein >> Could you tell us what impact the events had on you? Dr. Ford >> Um, well, I think that the sequelae of sexual assault varies by person. For me, personally, anxiety, phobia, and PTSD-like symptoms are the types of things I have been coping with. So more specifically, Claustrophobia, panic, and that type of thing. 11:00:44 AM Sen. Feinstein >> Is that the reason for the second door front door? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Sen. Feinstein >> Claustrophobia? Dr. Ford >> Correct. It doesn't -- Our house does not look aesthetically pleasing from the curb. Sen. Feinstein >> I see. And do you have that second front door? Dr. Ford >> Yes, now it's a place to host Google interns. We live near Google, so we have other students. Sen. Feinstein >> Can you tell us, is there any other way this has affected your life? Dr. Ford >> The primary impact was in the initial four years after the event. I struggled academically. I struggled very much in chapel hill, in college. When I was 17 andt off to college, I had a very hard time, more so than others, forming new friendships and especially friendships with boys. And I had academic problems. 11:02:05 AM Sen. Feinstein >> What -- when we spoke and it became very clear how deeply you felt about this and the need that you wanted to remain confidential, can you talk a little bit about that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. So I was watching carefully throughout the summer -- well, my original intent, I want to remind, was to communicate with everyone when there was still a list of candidates who all seemed to be just from my perspective, from what I could read, equally qualified. And I was in a hurry to try to get the information forward but didn't quite know how to do that. However, once he was selected and it seemed like he was popular and that it wasn't a sure vote, I was calculating daily the risk benefit for me of coming forward and wondering whether I would just be jumping in front of a train that was headed to where it was headed anyway and that I would just be 11:03:07 AM personally annihilated. Sen. Feinstein >> How did you decide to come Dr. Ford >> Ultimately, because reporters were sitting outside of my home trying to talk to my dog through the window. To calm the dog down. And a reporter appeared in my graduate classroom, and I mistook her for a student. And she came up to ask me a question, and I thought that she was a student, and it turned out she was a reporter. So at that point, I felt like enough was enough. People were calling my colleagues at Stanford and leaving messages on their voice mails and on their e-mails saying that they knew my name. Clearly people knew my address because they were out in front of my house, and it just -- the mounting pressure seemed like it was time to just say what I needed to say. 110345 Sen. Feinstein >> I'm sorry. I want to ask you one question about the attack itself. 11:04:11 AM You are very clear about the attack, being pushed into the room. You say you don't know quite by whom, but that it was Brett Kavanaugh that covered your mouth to prevent you from screaming. And then you escaped. How are you so sure that it was he? Dr. Ford >> The same way I'm sure I'm talking to you right now. Basic memory functions. And also just the level of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain that sort of, as you know, encodes that neurotransmitter encodes memories into the hippocampus so the trauma related experience is locked there where as other details kind of drift. 110444 Sen. Feinstein >> So what you're telling us is this could not be a case of mistaken identity. Dr. Ford >> Absolutely not. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Ms. Mitchell for Senator 11:05:14 AM Hatch. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we were stopped, you were going to tell us a third correction that you wanted to make on that statement, or I'm sorry, the letter to senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> It wasn't a correction, but I wanted to comment on it since we were looking at this letter. That I did see mark judge once at the Potomac village safe way after the time of the attack, and it would be helpful with anyone's resources if to figure out when he worked there, if people are wanting more details from me about when the attack occurred, if we could find out when he worked there, then I could provide a more detailed timeline as to when the attack occurred. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, and that -- so that is not a correction in your statement. Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You also wrote out a hand-written statement for the morning, have you told us everything that you remember about the day leading up to that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Let me ask just a few questions to make sure you have thought of everything, okay. You indicated that you were at the country club swimming that day. Dr. Ford >> That's my best estimate of how this could have happened. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And when you say best estimate, is that based on the fact that you said you went there pretty much every day. Dr. Ford >> Mm-hmm. Rachel Mitchell >> Is that a yes? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall prior to getting there, so I'm only talking about up to the gathering, had you had anything to drink? Dr. Ford >> Not at all. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you on any sort of medication? Dr. Ford >> None. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall knowing before you went who was going to be at that gathering? 11:08:01 AM Dr. Ford >> I recall that expecting that Mark Judge and Leyland would be at that gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall an expectation that Brett Kavanaugh would be there? Dr. Ford >> I don't recall whether or not I expected that. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, let's talk about the gathering up from the time you arrived till when you went up the stairs, just that period of time, okay? What was the atmosphere like at the gathering? Dr. Ford >> Um, Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge were extremely inebriated. They had clearly been drinking prior, and the other people at the party were not. Rachel Mitchell >> Can I ask you just to follow up on that? When you said it was clear they had been drinking prior, do you mean prior to the time you had gotten there or prior to the time they had arrived? Dr. Ford >> Prior to the time that they arrived. I don't recall who arrived first 11:09:03 AM though. Whether it was me or them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Please continue. Dr. Ford >> Okay. So I recall that I could -- I can sketch a floor plan. I recall that it was a sparsely furnished, fairly modest living room. And it was not really a party like the news has made it sound. It was just a gathering that I assumed was going to lead to a party later on that those boys would attend because they tended to have parties later at night than I was allowed to stay out. So it was kind of a pre-gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it loud? Dr. Ford >> No. Not in the living room. Rachel Mitchell >> Besides the music that you have described that was playing in the bedroom, was there any other music or television or anything like that that was adding? Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> So there wasn't a stereo playing downstairs? Dr. Ford >> No. 11:10:02 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> Senator Leahy. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Dr. Ford, thank you for being here. Mr. Chairman, you know, the way to make this inquiry truly credible is to do what we have always done when new information of a nominee comes to light. To use your words this morning, you want to reach the truth. The easy way to do that, ask the FBI to investigate. It's what we have always done. Let them investigate, report back to us. The same applies to the serious allegations made by Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. Let's have a nonpartisan, professional investigation. And then take the time to have these witnesses testify. Chairman, you and I were both here 27 years ago. At that time, the senate failed Anita Hill. I said I believed her. But I'm concerned that we're doing a lot less for these three 11:11:04 AM women today. That's my personal view. 111106 Now, Dr. Ford, no matter what happens with this hearing today, no matter what happens with this nomination, I know and I hear from so many of my own state of Vermont, 111117 there are millions of victims and survivors out there who have been inspired by your courage. I am. Bravery is contagious. Indeed, that's the driving force behind the Me Too movement. And you sharing your story is going to have a lasting positive impact on so many survivors in our country. We owe you a debt of gratitude for that, doctor. Now, some senators have suggested you were simply mixed up about who assaulted you. An ally of judge Kavanaugh in the White House even promoted a wild theory about a Cavanaugh lookalike. You immediately rejected that 11:12:01 AM theory. As did the innocent man who had been called that look alike. In fact, he sent a letter to this committee forcibly rejecting this absurd theory. I ask consent to enter that in the record. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Without objection. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Now, how did you know Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge? Is it possible that you would mix them up with somebody else? Dr. Ford >> No, it is not. And the person that was blamed for the incident is actually the person who introduced me to them originally. So he was a member of Columbia country club, and I don't want to talk about him because I think it's unfair, but he is the person that introduced me to them. Senator Patrick Leahy >> But you would not mix up somebody else with Brett Kavanaugh, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Or Mark Judge? Dr. Ford >> Correct. 111258 Senator Patrick Leahy >> Then let's go back to the incident. What is the strongest memory you have? The strongest memory of the incident? Something that you cannot forget. Take whatever time you need. Dr. Ford >> Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter. The uproarious laughter between the two. And their having fun at my expense. Senator Patrick Leahy >> You have never forgotten that laughter. Never forgotten them laughing at you. Dr. Ford >> They were laughing with each other. Senator Patrick Leahy >> And you were the object of the laughter? Dr. Ford >> I was, you know, underneath one of them while the two laughed. Two friends having a really good time with one another. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Let me enter into the record a statement by the National task 11:14:05 AM force to end domestic violence. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> A letter from 24 members of the house of representatives urging the committee to use the trauma approach in questioning Dr. Ford. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection. Sen. Leahy >> And a letter from another 116 members of the house asking to delay until all of this has been heard. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford has at times been criticized for what she doesn't remember from 36 years but we have numerous experts that say lapses of memory are wholly consistent with severe trauma and stress of assault. I would ask consent that be entered. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford, I'll just conclude with this. You do remember what happened, do you not? Dr. Ford >> Very much so. 11:15:21 AM Sen. Leahy >> Thank you. Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> Now Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham, and then it's my understanding that that's where you would like to take a break. Dr. Ford >> Does that work for you? Does that work for you as well? Sen. Grassley >> We're here to accommodate you. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. I'm used to being collegial. Sen. Grassley >> Go ahead. Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You told senator Feinstein in your letter that you and four others were present. You have corrected that today to say it was at least four others. When you were interviewed by "The Washington post," you said that there were four boys present at the party. And then in your polygraph statement, you say there were four boys and two girls. When you say two girls, was that you and another or was that two other girls? Dr. Ford >> That was me and one other girl. Rachel Mitchell >> And that other girl's name? 11:16:22 AM Dr. Ford >> Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Leyland Kaiser now? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. So then would it be fair to say at least P.J., Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, Leyland Ingram at the time, and yourself were present and possibly others? Dr. Ford >> And one other boy, so there were four boys. I just don't know the name of the other boy. 111633 Rachel Mitchell >> Have you been contacted by anybody saying, hey, I was at that party too? Dr. Ford >> No, I haven't talked with anyone from that party. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, you've been detailed about what happened once you got up the stairs. And so I don't need to go through that again. I'm sorry, go ahead. Dr. Ford >> I'm sorry, I just realized I said something that was inaccurate. I said I hadn't spoken with anyone from the party since that day. I have spoken with Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, thank you for 11:17:23 AM correcting that. I appreciate that. Rachel Mitchell >> You have gone into detail about what happened once you went up the stairs so I don't feel like it's necessary to go over those things again. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Thank you. Rachel Mitchell >> Have you told us everything that you do remember about it? Dr. Ford >> I believe so, but if there are other questions, I can attempt to answer them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. >> You said that the music was solely coming from that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And it was turned up once the three of you were inside that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. At some point, do you recall it being turned down? Dr. Ford >> I don't remember if it was turned down once I was leaving the house. I don't remember. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> Likely, since I could hear them walking down the stairs very clearly from the bathroom. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And the bathroom door was closed when you heard this, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I could hear them very clearly hitting the walls going down the stairwell. 11:18:24 AM Rachel Mitchell >> In fact, in your letter, you said that they went down the stairs and they were talking with other people in the house. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you able to hear that conversation? Dr. Ford >> I was not able to hear that conversation, but I was aware they were downstairs and that I would have to walk past them to get out of the house. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now let me make sure we're on the same page. Were you not able to hear the conversation or not able to understand the conversation? Dr. Ford >> I couldn't hear the conversation. I was upstairs. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, how do you know there was a conversation? Dr. Ford >> Just assuming since it was a social gathering people were talking. I don't know. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> I heard them talking as they went down the stairwell. They were laughing. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. In your letter, you wrote both loudly stumbled down the stairwell, at which point, other persons at the house were talking with them. Does that ring a bell? Dr. Ford >> Yes, I had to walk past everyone to leave the house, so -- 11:19:26 AM >> Maybe I'm not understanding, I'm sorry. Rachel Mitchell >> Your next sentence, let me try to clarify this. After you said other persons at the house were talking with them, the letter goes on with the very next sentence, I exited the bathroom, ran out of the house, and went home. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You said that you do not remember how you got home, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I do not remember, other than I did not drive home. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. I'm going to show you, if somebody could provide to you a map of the various people's houses at the time, and if you could verify that this is where you were living at the time. Dr. Ford >> Where I was living at the Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> Mr. Chairman, do we have a copy of these documents? Sen. Grassley >> We do not have a copy. I assume if you want one, we could give you one. 11:20:27 AM Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, before the questions begin so we could follow the testimony. Sen. Grassley >> My staff says we should not provide the copy. Oh, we will -- speak plainly with me, please. >> Sure. I would like to see what she's looking at. >> You have another 30 seconds now because I was rudely interrupted. >> Okay. Mr. Chairman, senator Harris, we do have a blown-up copy of this for members view, if that's helpful. >> Okay. I'm going to put check marks next to homes that I can confirm are the correct locations. And then an X or a question mark when I don't know where these people live. >> I'm only asking you to confirm if that map accurately shows where you were living at the time. >> Where I lived at the time. I can't see the street name, but I'm happy to refer to the address or neighborhood. >> Could you tell us that? >> Yes, river falls. 11:21:27 AM Near the, like -- what is the place called? The naval research center on Clara Barton parkway. >> Was that a house or an >> My parents' home. >> Okay. All right. >> Senator Durbin. >> Mr. Chairman, I ask consent to enter into the record letters of support for Dr. Ford from her classmates at Holton arms school, 1200 alumni of the school, 195 of your colleague, students, and mentors, 1400 men and women who attended D.C. Schools, and 15 members of the Yale law school faculty calling for a full FBI investigation. I ask consent to enter these into record. >> Without objection, so Sen. Durbin >> As difficult as this experience must be, I want you to know your courage in coming forward has given countless Americans the strength to face their own life-shattering past and begin to heal their wounds. By example, you have brought many families into an honest and sometimes painful dialogue that 11:22:14 AM should have occurred a long time ago. I'll sorry for what this has done to you and your family. No one, no one should face harassment, death threats, and disparaging comments by cheap shot politicians simply for telling the truth. You and your family should know that for every scurrilous charge and every pathetic tweet, there have been thousands of Americans, women and men, who believe you, support you, and thank you for your courage. Watching your experience, it's no wonder that many sexual assault survivors hide their past and spend their lives suffering in pained silence. You had absolutely nothing to gain by bringing these facts to the senate judiciary committee. The fact that you are testifying here today, terrified though you may be, the fact that you have called for an FBI investigation of this incident, the fact that you are prepared to name both Judge Kavanaugh and eyewitness Mark Judge, stands in sharp contrast to the obstruction we have seen on the other side. 11:23:16 AM The FBI should have investigated your charges as they did in the Anita Hill hearing, but they did not. Mark Judge should be subpoenaed from his Bethany beach hideaway and required to testify under oath, but he has not. Judge Kavanaugh, if he truly believes there's no evidence, no witnesses that can prove your case, should be joining us in demanding a thorough FBI investigation. But he has not. 112345 Today, you come before this committee and before this nation alone. I know you're joined by counsel and family. The prosecutor on the Republican side will continue to ask questions to test your memory and veracity. After spending decades trying to forget that awful night, it's no wonder your recollection is less than perfect. A polished liar can create a seamless story, but a trauma survivor cannot be expected to remember every painful detail. 11:24:15 AM That's what Senator Leahy has mentioned earlier. One question is critical. In Judge Kavanaugh's opening testimony, which we'll hear after you leave, this is what he says: "I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time." Last night, the Republican staff of this committee released to the media a timeline that shows that they have interviewed two people who claim they were the ones who actually assaulted you. I'm asking you to address this new defense of mistaken identity directly. 112457 Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you? Dr. Ford >> 100%. Sen. Durbin >> 100%. In the letter which you sent to Dr -- or Senator Feinstein, you wrote, "I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault. I did see Mark Judge once at the 11:25:17 AM Potomac Village safeway where he was extremely uncomfortable in seeing me. 112521 Would you please describe that encounter at the safeway with Mark Judge and what led you to believe he was uncomfortable? Dr. Ford >> Yes. I was going to the Potomac Village safeway, this was the one on the corner of Falls and River road. And I was with my mother. And I was a teenager, so I wanted her to go in one door and me go in the other. So I chose the wrong door because the door I chose was the one where Mark Judge was -- looked like he was working there. And arranging the shopping carts. And I said hello to him. And his face was white. And very uncomfortable saying hello back. And we had previously been friendly at the times we saw each other over the previous two 11:26:17 AM years. Albeit, not many times, we had always been friendly with one another. I wouldn't characterize him as not friendly. He was just nervous and not really wanting to speak with me. He looked a little bit ill. Sen. Durbin >> How long did this occur after the incident? Dr. Ford >> I would estimate six to eight Sen. Durbin >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Before we take a break, I can't let what Durbin, Senator Durbin said, by the way, he's my friend. We work on a lot of legislation together, but you talked about the obstruction from the other side. I cannot let it go by, what you have heard me say so many times, that between July 30th and September 13th, there were 45 days this committee could have been investigating this situation, and her privacy would have been protected. So something happened here in between on your side that the whole country -- not the whole 11:27:19 AM country should have known about it, no, not know about. We should have investigated it. We'll take a break now for 15 minutes.

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0900 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG FOP FS1 79 1100 FORD KAVANAUGH HRG GOP FS1 83 UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HEARING: Nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (Day 5) Full Committee DATE: Thursday, September 27, 2018 TIME: 10:00 AM LOCATION: Dirksen Senate Office Building 226 PRESIDING: Chairman Chuck Grassley AGENDA: September 17, 2018 NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. September 21, 2018 POSTPONEMENT NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States scheduled to continue Monday, September 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building has been postponed. By order of the Chairman. September 23, 2018 RESCHEDULED NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING CONTINUATION The Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States will continue on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. By order of the Chairman. MEMBER STATEMENTS: Senator Chuck Grassley (R - IA) WITNESSES: PANEL VI Professor Christine Blasey Ford, Ph.D. Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA PANEL VII The Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh Nominee to Serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Chevy Chase, MD 10:03 Christine Blasey Ford enters hearing room, takes seat 10:05:03 Senator Chuck Grassley This morning we continue our hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as associate justice supreme court. We will hear from two witnesses, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. Thanks of course to Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh for accepting our committee's invitation to testify and also thank them for volunteering to testify before we even invited. Both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have been through a terrible couple of weeks. They and their families have received vile threats. What they have endured ought to be considered by all of us as unacceptable and a poor reflection on the state of civility in our democracy. So I want to apologize to you both for the way you've been treated, and I intend hopefully for today's hearing, to be safe, comfortable, and dignified for both of our witnesses. 10:06:23 AM I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort of a show of civility. With that said, I lament that this hearing, how this hearing has come about. On July 9th 2018, the President announced Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Kavanaugh has served on the most important federal appellate court for 12 years. Before that, he held some of the most sensitive positions in the federal government. The president added Judge Kavanaugh to his short list of Supreme Court more than nine months ago in November 2017. As part of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, the FBI conducted its sixth full field 10:07:23 background investigations of Judge Kavanaugh since 1993, 25 years ago. Nowhere in any of these six FBI reports, which committee investigators have reviewed on a bipartisan basis. Was there a whiff of any issue. Any issue at all, related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior. Dr. Ford first raised her allegations in a secret letter to the ranking member two months ago. This letter was secret from July 30th September 13th -- no, July 30th -- September 13, when I first heard about it. The ranking member took no action. The letter wasn't shared with me your colleagues or my staff. These allegations could have 10:08:24 been investigated in a way that maintains the confidentiality that Dr. Ford requested. Before his hearing, Judge Kavanaugh met privately with 65 senators, including ranking member. But the ranking member didn't ask Judge Kavanaugh about the allegations when she met with him privately in August. The senate judiciary committee held its four day publication on September 4th to September 7th. Judge Kavanaugh testified for more than 32 hours in public. We held a closed session for members to ask sensitive questions the last evening, which the ranking member did not attend. If Judge Kavanaugh answered nearly 1300 written questions submitted by senators after the hearing. More prior nominees. Throughout this period, 10:09:24 AM We did not know about the ranking members of secret evidence. Then, only at the 11th hour, on the evening of Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation board, did the ranking member refer the allegations to the FBI. And then, sadly, the allegations were linked to the press. That is where Dr. Ford was mistreated. This is a shamble way to treat our witness, who insisted on confidentiality. And of course, Judge Kavanaugh, who has had to address these allegations, in the midst of a media circus. When I received Dr. Ford's letter on September the 13th, my staff and I recognized the seriousness of these allegations and immediately began our committee's investigation with the way the committee has handled such allegations in the past. 10:10:26 AM Every step of the way, the Democratic side refused to participate in what should have been a bipartisan investigation. As far as I know on all of our judgeships throughout at least the last four years or three years, that has been the way it has been handled. After Dr. Ford's identity became public, my staff contacted all the individuals she said attended the 1982 party described in "The Washington post" article. Judge Kavanaugh immediately submitted to an interview under penalty of Felony for any knowingly false statements. He denied the allegations categorically. Democratic staff was invited to participate and could have asked any questions they wanted to, but they declined. Which leads me, then, to wonder, if they're really concerned with going to the truth, why wouldn't you want to talk to the accused? The process and procedure is what the committee always does when we receive allegations of wrongdoing. My staff reached out to other individuals allegedly at the party - Mark Judge, Patrick Smith, Leyland Kaiser. All three submitted statements to the senate under penalty of felony, denying any knowledge of the events described by Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford's lifelong friend, 10:11:51 AM Ms. Kaiser, stated she doesn't know Judge Kavanaugh and doesn't recall ever attending a party with him. My staff made repeated requests to interview Dr. Ford during the past 11 days. Even volunteering to fly to California to take her testimony. But her attorneys refused to present her allegations to Congress. I nevertheless honored her request for a public hearing so Dr. Ford today has the opportunity to prevent her allegations under oath. As you can see, the judiciary committee was able to conduct thorough investigations into allegations -- thorough investigations into allegations. Some of my colleagues consistent with her stated desires to obstruct Kavanaugh's nomination by any means precisely - by any means necessary, pushed for FBI investigations into the allegations. But I have no authority to force 10:12:56 AM the Executive Branch agency to conduct an investigation into a matter it considers to be closed. Moreover, once the allegations become -- became public, it was easy to identify all of the alleged witnesses and conduct our own investigations. Contrary to what the public has been led to believe, the FBI doesn't perform any credibility assessments or verify the truth of any events in these background investigations. I'll quote then chairman Joe Biden during Justice Thomas' confirmation hearing. This is what Senator Biden said, quote, "the next person who refers to an FBI report as being worth anything obviously doesn't understand anything. The FBI explicitly does not in this or any other case reach a conclusion, period. 10:13:56 AM They say he said/she said/they said, period. So when people wave an FBI report before you, understand they do not. They do not, they do not reach conclusions. They do not make recommendations." End of Senator Biden's quote. The FBI provided us with the allegations. Now it's up to the senate to assess their credibility. Which brings us to this very time. I look forward to a fair and respectful hearing. That's what we promised Dr. Ford. Some of my colleagues have complained about the fact that an expert on this side is investigating sex crimes will be questioning the witness. I see no basis for complaint ot than just plain politics. The testimony we will hear today concerns allegations of sexual 10:15:13 AM assault, very serious allegations. This is an incredibly complex and sensitive subject to discuss. It's not an easy one to discuss. That is why the senators on this side of the dais believe an expert who has deep experience and training in interviewing victims of sexual assault and investigating sexual assault allegations should be asking questions. This will be a stark contrast to the grandstanding and chaos that we saw from the other side during the previous four days in this hearing process. I can think of no one better equipped to question the witnesses than Rachel Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell is a career prosecutor, civil servant with decades of experience investigating and prosecuting sex crimes. She has dedicated her career to seeking justice for survivors of sex-related felonies. Most recently, Rachel was a 10:16:15 AM division chief of the special victims division Maricopa county attorney's office. Which prosecutes sex crimes and family violence. Then democratic governor Janet Napolitano previously recognized her as the outstanding Arizona sexual assault prosecutor of the year. And she has spent years instructing prosecutors, detectives, and child protection workers on how to properly interview victims of sexual assault and abuse. With her aid, I look forward to a fair and productive hearing. I understand that there are two other public allegations. Today's hearing was scheduled in close consultation with Dr. Ford's attorneys. And her testimony will be the subject of this hearing. We have been trying to investigate other allegations. At this time, we have not had cooperation from attorneys 10:17:16 AM representing other clients. And they have made no attempt to substantiate their claims. My staff has tried to secure testimony and evidence from attorneys for both Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. My staff made eight requests. Yes, eight requests, for evidence from attorneys for Ms. Ramirez. And six requests for evidence for attorneys for Ms. Swetnick. Neither attorney has made their clients available for interview. The committee can't do an investigation if attorneys are stonewalling. I hope you all understand that we have attempted to seek additional information as we do a lot of times when there are holes in what we call the B.I. Reports. Additionally, all the witnesses 10:18:17 AM should know by when I say all the witnesses, I mean Dr. Ford and I mean judge Kavanaugh, all the witnesses should know they have the right under senate rule 26.5 to ask that the committee go into closed session if a question requires an answer that is a clear invasion of their right to privacy. If either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh feel that senate rule 26.5 ought to be involved, they should simply say so. Senator Feinstein. 10:18:37 SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'll make just a brief comment on your references to me. Yes, I did receive a letter from Dr. Ford. It was conveyed to me by a member of congress, Anna Eshoo. The next day I called Dr. Ford. We spoke on the phone. 10:19:01 AM She reiterated that she wanted this held confidential, and I held it confidential, up to a point where the witness was willing to come forward. And I think as I make my remarks, perhaps you'll see why. Because how women are treated in the United States with this kind of concern is really wanting a lot of reform. And I'll get to that for a minute, but in the meantime, good morning, Dr. Ford. Thank you for coming forward and being willing to share your story with us. I know this wasn't easy for you. But before you get to your testimony, and the chairman chose not to do this, I think it's important to make sure you're properly introduced -- 10:19:48 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> By the way, I was going to introduce her, but if you want to introduce her, I would be glad to have you do that. No I didn't forget to do that, because I would do that just as she was about to speak. 10:19:59 AM SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN >> Thank you. I have to say, when I saw your CV, I was extremely impressed. You have a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, chapel hill. Two masters degrees. One from Stanford and one from Pepperdine, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, better known to Senator Harris and I as USC. You are a professor affiliated with both Stanford University and Palo Alto University. You have published over 65 peer reviewed articles and have received numerous awards for your work and research. And as if that were not enough, you are a wife, a mother of two sons, and a constituent from California. So I am very grateful to you for your strength and your bravery in coming forward. I know it's hard. But before I turn it over, I want to say something about what is to be discussed today and where we are as a country. 10:21:03 AM Sexual violence is a serious problem. And one that largely goes unnoticed. In the United States, it's estimated by the centers for disease control, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. According to the rape abuse and incest national network, 60% of sexual assaults go unreported. In addition, when survivors do report their assaults, it's often years later due to the trauma they suffered and fearing their stories will not be last week, I received a letter from a 60-year-old California constituent who told me she survived an attempted rape at age 17. She described as being terrified and embarrassed. She never told a soul until much later in life. 10:22:20 AM The assault stayed with her for 43 years. I think it's important to remember these realities as we hear from Dr. Ford about her experience. There's been a great deal of public discussion about the me too movement today versus the year of the woman almost 27 years ago. But while young women are standing up and saying no more, our institutions have not progressed in how they treat women who come forward. Too often, women's memories and credibility come under assault. In essence, they are put on trial and forced to defend themselves. And often revictimized in the process. 27 years ago, I was walking through an airport when I saw a large group of people gathered around a TV to listen to Anita hill tell her story. 10:23:21 AM What I saw was an attractive woman in a blue suit before an all-male judiciary committee speaking of her experience of sexual harassment. She was treated badly, accused of lying, attacked, and her credibility put to the test throughout the process. Today, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has come forward to tell her story of being assaulted and fearing for her life when she was a teenager. Initially, as I said, Dr. Ford did not want to make her story public. Then, within 36 hours of coming forward, Republicans scheduled a hearing without talking to her or even inviting her to testify. She was told she had to show up or the committee would move forward with a vote. It took a public outcry from the 10:24:21 AM majority -- excuse me, for the majority to back down and give her even a few days to come before the committee. Republicans also scheduled this hearing with Dr. Ford without having her allegations investigated by the FBI. In 1991, Anita hill's allegations were reviewed by the FBI. As is the normal process and squarely within its jurisdiction. However, despite repeated requests, president trump and the Republicans have refused to take this routine step and direct the FBI to conduct an impartial investigation. This would clearly be the best way to insure a fair process to both Judge Kavanaugh and to in 1991, the senate heard from 10:25:22 AM 22 witnesses over three days. Today, while rejecting an FBI investigation, Republicans are refusing to hear testimony from any other witness. Including Mark Judge, who Dr. Ford identified as being in the room when the attack took place. And we believe Judge should be subpoenaed so the committee can hear from him directly. Republicans have also refused to call anyone who could speak to the evidence that would support or refute Dr. Ford's claim, and not one witness who could address credibility and character of either Ford or Kavanaugh has been called. What I find most inexcusable is this rush to judgment. The unwillingness to take these kinds of allegations at face value. 10:26:22 AM And look at them for what they are, a real question of character for someone who is asking for a lifetime appointment on the supreme court. In 1991, Republicans belittled professor hill's experience, saying, and I quote, it won't make a bit of difference in the outcome, end quote, and the burden of proof was on professor hill. Today, our Republican colleagues are saying this is a hiccup. Dr. Ford is mixed up, and declaring, I'll listen to the lady, but we're going to bring this to a close. What's worse, many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have also made it clear that no matter what happens today, the senate will plow right through and insure judge Kavanaugh would be elevated within a week. 10:27:23 AM In fact, on Tuesday, the majority went ahead and scheduled a vote on the nomination before we heard one word of testimony regarding allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh. Republican leadership even told senators they should plan to be in over this weekend so the nomination can be pushed through without delay. This is, despite the fact that in the last few days two more women have come forward with their own serious allegations of sexual assault involving Brett Kavanaugh. This past Sunday, we learned about Debbie Ramirez, who was a student at Yale with Brett Kavanaugh. She, too, did not want to come forward but after being approached by reporters, she told her story. She was at a college party where Kavanaugh exposed himself to her. She recalls pushing him away and 10:28:24 AM then seeing him laughing and pulling his pants up. Then yesterday, Judy Swetnick came forward to say she had experiences of being at house parties with Brett Kavanaugh and mark judge. She recounted seeing Kavanaugh engage, and I quote, in abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, end quote. Including attempts to, quote, remove or shift girls' clothing, end quote. Not taking, quote, no for an answer, grabbing girls, quote, without their consent, end and targeting, quote, particular girls so that they could be taken advantage of. End quote. Each of these stories are troubling on their own. And each of these allegations should be investigated by the FBI. All three women have said they 10:29:25 AM would like the FBI to investigate, please do so. All three have said they have other witnesses and evidence to corroborate their accounts. And yet Republicans continue to blindly push forward. So today, we're moving forward with a hearing and being asked to assess the credibility of Brett Kavanaugh. He's made several statements about how his focus was on school, basketball, service projects, and going to church. He declared that he, quote, never, end quote, drank so much he couldn't remember what happened. And he has, quote, always treated women with dignity and respect, end quote. While he's made these declarations, more and more people have come forward, challenging his characterization of events and behaviors. 10:30:26 AM James roach, his freshman roommate at Yale, stated, Kavanaugh was, and I quote again, frequently incoherently drunk, end quote. And that was when, quote, he became aggressive and belligerent, end quote, when he was drunk. Liz swisher, a friend of his from Yale, said, and I quote, there's no medical way I can say that he was blacked out, but it's not credible for him to say that he has no memory lapses in the nights that he drank to excess, end quote. Lynn brooks, a college classmate, said the picture Kavanaugh is trying to paint doesn't match her memories of him. And I quote, he's trying to paint himself as some kind of choir boy. You can't lie your way onto the supreme court. And with that statement out, he's gone too far. It's about the integrity of the 10:31:29 AM institution, end quote. Ultimately, members and ladies and gentlemen, I really think that's the point. We're here to decide whether to evaluate this nominee to the most prestigious court in our country. It's about the integrity of that institution and the integrity of this institution. The entire country is watching how we handle these allegations. I hope the majority changes their tactics, opens their mind, and seriously reflects on why we are here. We are here for one reason -- to determine whether judge Kavanaugh should be elevated to one of the most powerful positions in our country. This is not a trial of Dr. Ford. It's a job interview for judge Kavanaugh. Is Brett Kavanaugh who we want on the most prestigious court in our country? Is he the best we can do? 10:32:29 AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> I'm sorry you brought up about the unsubstantiated allegations of other people because we're here for the sole purpose of listening to Dr. Ford, and we'll consider other issues other times. I would like to have you rise so I can swear you. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god? Senator Chuck Grassley Thank you very much. Please be seated, and before you give your statement, I want to say that to everybody that she has asked for any time you ask for a break, you get a break. Any time there's something that need you don't have, just ask us. 10:33:29 AM And you can have as much time for your opening statement as you want. And just generally, let us know if there's any issues. Proceed, please. 10:33:31 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford >> Thank you, Senator Grassley. I think after I read my opening statement, I anticipate needing some caffeine if that is available. >> Okay. Could you pull the microphone just a little closer to you, please. >> Okay. >> Can the whole box go a little closer? >> That's what I'm trying, senator. No. >> I'll lean forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Is this good? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, Chairman Grassley and ranking member Feinstein, members of the committee. My name is Christine Blasey Ford. I'm a Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of 10:34:32 AM medicine. I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school. I have described the events publicly before. I summarized them in my letter to ranking member Feinstein, and again in a letter to chairman Grassley. I understand and appreciate the importance of your hearing for me directly about what happened to me and the impact it has had on my life and on my family. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I attended the Holton arms school in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1978 to 1984. Holton arms is an all-girls 10:35:32 AM school that opened in 1901. During my time at the school, girls at Holton arms frequently met and became friendly with boys from all boys schools in the area, including the Landon school, Georgetown prep, Gonzaga high school, as well as our country clubs and other places where kids and families socialized. 103538 This is how I met Brett Kavanaugh, the boy who sexually assaulted me. During my freshman and sophomore school years, when I was 14 and 15 years old, my group of friends intersected with Brett and his friends for a short period of time. I had been friendly with a classmate of Brett's for a short time during my freshman and sophomore year. And it was through that connection that I attended a number of parties that Brett also attended. 103608 We did not know each other well, but I knew him and he knew me. In the summer of 1982, like most 10:36:33 AM Summers, I spent most every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland, swimming and practicing diving. One evening that summer, after a day of diving at the club, I attended a small gathering at a house in the Bethesda area. There were four boys I remember specifically being at the house. Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, a boy named P.J., and one other boy whose name I cannot recall. I also remember my friend Leyland attending. I do not remember all of the details of how that gathering came together, but like many that summer, it was almost surely a spur of the moment I truly wish I could be more helpful with more detailed answers to all of the questions that have and will be asked about how I got to the party and where it took place and so forth. I don't have all the answers, and I don't remember as much as I would like to. 10:37:34 AM But the details about that night that bring me here today are the ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult. When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room/family room type area on the first floor of the house. 103742 I drank one beer. Brett and Mark were visibly early in the evening, I went up a very narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the restroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom across from the bathroom. I couldn't see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by 10:38:35 AM either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding into me. I yelled, hoping that someone downstairs might hear me. And I tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. 103843 Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was very inebriated and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit underneath my clothing. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. 10:39:35 AM Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time. Mark seemed ambivalent, at times urging Brett on. At times telling him to stop. A couple of times, I made eye contact with mark and thought he might try to help me. But he did not. During this assault, mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. And the last time he did this, we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room, directly across from the bedroom was a small bathroom. I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door. I waited until I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom, laughing and loudly walked down the narrow stairway, pinballing off the walls on the way down. 10:40:22 AM I waited, and when I did not hear them come back up the stairs, I left the bathroom, went down the same stairwell, through the living room, and left the house. I remember being on the street and feeling an enormous sense of relief that I escaped that house and that Brett and Mark were not coming outside after me. 104043 Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life for a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone these details. I did not want to tell my parents that I at age 15 was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys .I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and just pretend that it didn't happen. Over the years, I told very, very few friends that I had this 10:41:20 AM traumatic experience. I told my husband before we were married that I had experienced a sexual assault. I had never told the details to anyone, the specific details, until May 2012 during a Couple's Counseling session. The reason this came up in counseling is that my husband and I had completed a very extensive, very long remodel of our home, and I insisted on a second front door, an idea that he and others disagreed with and could not understand. In explaining why I wanted a second front door, I began to describe the assault in detail. I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the U.S. Supreme Court and spoke a bit about his background at an elitist all-boys school in Bethesda, Maryland. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh. 10:42:23 AM After that May 2012 therapy session, I did my best to ignore the memories of the assault because recounting them caused me to relive the experience and caused panic and anxiety. Occasionally, I would discuss the assault in an individual therapy session but talking about it caused more reliving of the trauma, so I tried not to think about it or discuss it. But over the years, I went through periods where I thought about the attack. I had confided in some close friends that I had had experience with sexual assault. Occasionally, I stated that my assailant was a prominent lawyer or judge but I did not use his name. I do not recall each person I spoke to about Brett's assault, and some friends have reminded me of these conversations since the publication of "The Washington Post" story on September 16th, 2018. But until July 2018, I had never 10:43:26 AM named Mr. Kavanaugh as my attacker outside of therapy. This changed in early July 2018. I saw press reports stating that Brett Kavanaugh was on the short list of a list of very well qualified Supreme Court nominees. I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr. Kavanaugh's conduct so that those considering his nomination would know about this assault. On July 6th, I had a sense of urgency to relay the information to the Senate and the President as soon as possible before a nominee was selected. I did not know how specifically to do this. I called my Congressional representative and let her receptionist know that someone on the President's short list had attacked me. I also sent a message to the encrypted "Washington post" confidential tip line. I did not use my name, but I 10:44:28 AM provided the names of Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. I stated that Mr. Kavanaugh had assaulted me in the 1980s in Maryland. This was an extremely hard thing for me to do. But I felt that I couldn't not do it. Over the next two days, I told a couple of close friends on the beach in Aptos, California that Mr. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted me. I was very conflicted as to whether to speak out. On July 9th, I received a return phone call from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo after Mr. Kavanaugh had become the nominee. I met with her staff on July 18th, and with her on July 20th, describing the assault and discussing my fears about coming forward. Later, we discussed the possibility of sending a letter to ranking member Feinstein, who is one of my state senators, 10:45:30 AM describing what occurred. My understanding is that Representative Eshoo's office delivered a copy my letter to Mrs. Feinstein's office. The letter included my name and also a request that it remain confidential. My hope was providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh's serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family, or anyone's family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy that we have faced since my name became public. In a letter dated August 31st, senator Feinstein wrote that she would not share the letter without my explicit consent. And I appreciated this commitment. 104622 Sexual assault victims should be able to decide for themselves when and whether their private experience is made public. 10:46:31 AM As the hearing date got closer, I struggled with a terrible choice. Do I share the facts with the Senate and put myself and my family in the public spotlight or do I preserve our privacy and allow the senate to make its decision without knowing the full truth of his past behaviors? I agonized daily with this decision throughout August and September of 2018. The sense of duty that originally motivated me to reach out confidentially to "The Washington Post" and to Anna Eshoo's office when there was still a list of extremely qualified candidates and to Senator Feinstein was always there, but my fears of the consequences of speaking out started to exponentially increase. During August 2018, the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh's confirmation was virtually 10:47:31 AM certain. Persons painted him as a champion of women's rights and empowerment. And I believed if I came forward, my single voice would be drowned out by a chorus of powerful supporters. By the time of the confirmation hearings, I had resigned myself to remaining quiet. And letting the committee and the senate make their decision without knowing what Mr. Kavanaugh had done to me. Once the press started reporting on the existence of the letter I had sent to Senator Feinstein, I faced mounting pressure. Reporters appeared at my home and at my workplace, demanding information about the letter in the presence of my graduate students. They called my bosses and coworkers and left me many messages, making it clear that my name would inevitably be released to the media. I decided to speak out publicly to a journalist who had originally responded to the tip 10:48:35 AM I had sent to "The Washington post" and who had gained my trust. It was important for me to describe the details of the assault in my own words. Since September 16th, the date of "The Washington post" story, I have experienced an outpouring of support from people in every state of this country. Thousands and thousands of people who have had their lives dramatically altered by sexual violence have reached out to share their experience and have thanked me for coming forward. We have received tremendous support from our friends and our at the same time, 104915 my greatest fears have been realized and the reality has been far worse than what I expected. My family and I have been the target of constant harassment and death threats. And I have been called the most vile and hateful names imaginable. These messages while far fewer 10:49:35 AM than the expressions of support, have been terrifying and have rocked me to my core. People have posted my personal information and that of my parents online on the internet. This has resulted in anal e-mails, calls, and threats. My family and I were forced to move out of our home. Since September 16th, my family and I have been visiting in various secure locales, at times separated and at times together, with the help of security guards. This past Tuesday evening, my work e-mail was hacked and messages were sent out trying to recant my description of the sexual assault. Apart from the assault itself, these past couple of weeks have been the hardest of my life. I have had to relive this trauma in front of the world. And I have seen my life picked apart by people on television, on Twitter, on other social 10:50:35 AM media, other media, and in this body who have never met me or spoken with me. 105040 I have been accused of acting out of partisan political motives. Those who say that do not know me. I am an independent person, and I am no one's pawn. My motivation in coming forward was to be helpful and to provide facts about how Mr. Kavanaugh's actions have damaged my life so that you could take into a serious consideration as you make your decision about how to proceed. It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the supreme court. My responsibility is to tell you the truth. I understand that a professional prosecutor has been hired to ask me questions, and I'm committed to doing my very best to answer them. I have never been questioned by a prosecutor and I'll do my best. At the same time, because the 10:51:37 AM committee members will be judging my credibility, I do hope to be able to engage directly with each of you, and at this point, I will do my best to answer your questions. And would request some caffeine. >> A coke or something? Dr. Ford >> That sounds good. Great. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Thank you very much. Before I use my five minutes of questioning, I thought that I would try to remind my colleagues, and in this case, Ms. Mitchell as well, that the five minutes, the way I traditionally have done, if you ask a question before your time runs out, and even though you go over your time, as long as you aren't filibustering, I'll let you ask your question. And I'm going to make sure that both Dr. Ford and Dr. Ford and 10:52:40 AM Judge Kavanaugh as chairman of the committee, I know they're going to get a chance to answer the questions fully beyond that five minutes. But when that -- when either Dr. Ford or judge Kavanaugh gets done, then we immediately go to the next person. So I hope that that will be done, and Dr. Ford, I'm told that you want to break right if you do, that's fine. Dr. Ford >> I'm okay, I got the coffee. Thank you very much. I think I can proceed and sip on the coffee. Sen. Grassley >> Nobody can mix up my coffee right, so I -- so you're pretty fortunate. So now, with that, Ms. Mitchell, you have my five minutes to ask questions. Rachel Mitchell >> Good morning, Dr. Ford. Dr. Ford >> Hi. Rachel Mitchell >> We haven't met. My name is Rachel Mitchell. Dr. Ford >> Nice to meet you. Rachel Mitchell >> I just wanted to tell you the 10:53:56 AM first thing that struck me from your statement this morning was that you were terrified. I just wanted to let you know, that's not right. I know this is stressful. And so I would like to set forth some guidelines that maybe will alleviate that a little bit. If I ask you a question that you don't understand, please ask me to clarify it. Or ask it in a different way. When I ask questions, sometimes I'll refer back to other information you have provided. If I do that and I get it wrong, please correct me. Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> I'm not going to ask you to guess. I know it was a long time ago. If you do estimate, please let me know that you're estimating, okay? Christine Blasey Ford >> Fair. Rachel Mitchell >> We have put before you, and I'm sure you have copies of them anyway, five pieces of information, and I wanted to go over them. The first is a screen shot of a 10:54:59 AM WhatsApp texting between you and somebody at "The Washington post." Do you have that in front of you? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> The first two texts were sent by you on July 6th, is that correct? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Then the last one sent by you was on July 10th? Christine Blasey Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Are those three comments accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I will read them, yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time. Christine Blasey Ford >> So there's one correction. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I have misused the word bystander as an adjective. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> Bystander means someone looking at an assault, and the person named P.J. Was not technically a bystander. I was writing very quickly, a sense of urgency, so I would not call him a bystander. He was downstairs, and you know, what I remember of him was he was a tall and very nice person. 10:56:00 AM Christine Blasey Ford I didn't know him well, but he was downstairs, not anywhere near the event. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> I would like to take that word out if it's possible. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Thank you for clarifying that. The second is the letter that you wrote to senator Feinstein dated July 30th of this year. Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Did you write the letter yourself? Christine Blasey Ford >> I did. Rachel Mitchell >> And I -- since it's dated July 30th, did you write it on that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> I believe so. It sounds right. I was in rehoboth, Delaware, at I could look into my calendar and try to figure that out. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it written on or about that date? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Yes. I traveled I think the 26th of July to rehoboth, Delaware, so that makes sense because I wrote it from there. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, is the letter accurate? Christine Blasey Ford >> I'll take a minute to read it. I can read fast. Rachel Mitchell >> Take your time 10:57:59 AM Christine Blasey Ford >> Okay. So I have three areas that I would like to address. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Christine Blasey Ford >> In the second paragraph, where it says the assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home. Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Christine Blasey Ford >> At a gathering that included me and four others, I can't guarantee that there weren't a few other people there, but they are not in my purview of my Rachel Mitchell >> Would it be fair to say there were at least four others? Christine Blasey Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. What's the second correction? Christine Blasey Ford >> Oh, okay. The next sentence begins with Kavanaugh physically pushed me into the bedroom. I would say I can't promise that mark judge didn't me to interrupt, but I want to keep people within five minutes. Is that a major problem for you in the middle of a question? 10:59:00 AM Sen. Grassley Because I don't -- we have to -- I've got to treat everybody the same. Rachel Mitchell >> I understand that. Sen. Grassley >> Can I go to Senator Feinstein? Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I didn't see the light was red. Sen. Grassley >> Senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> I didn't get to -- >> We'll come back to that. Dr. Ford >> I see. Okay. Okay. Sen. Grassley >> For the benefit of Dr. Ford, I think she'll continue that after the five minutes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Sen. Feinstein >> Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by putting some letters in the record. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> You want to tell me. Sen. Feinstein >> 140 letters from friends and neighbors of the witness. And 1,000 female physicians across the country. Those are what the letters are. I want to thank you very much 10:59:45 AM for your testimony. I know how very, very hard it is. Why have you held it to yourself all these years, as you look back, can you indicate what the reasons are? Dr. Ford >> Well, I haven't held it in all these years. I did disclose it in the confines of therapy where I felt like it was an appropriate place to cope with the sequelae of the event. 110016 Sen. Feinstein >> Could you tell us what impact the events had on you? Dr. Ford >> Um, well, I think that the sequelae of sexual assault varies by person. For me, personally, anxiety, phobia, and PTSD-like symptoms are the types of things I have been coping with. So more specifically, Claustrophobia, panic, and that type of thing. 11:00:44 AM Sen. Feinstein >> Is that the reason for the second door front door? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Sen. Feinstein >> Claustrophobia? Dr. Ford >> Correct. It doesn't -- Our house does not look aesthetically pleasing from the curb. Sen. Feinstein >> I see. And do you have that second front door? Dr. Ford >> Yes, now it's a place to host Google interns. We live near Google, so we have other students. Sen. Feinstein >> Can you tell us, is there any other way this has affected your life? Dr. Ford >> The primary impact was in the initial four years after the event. I struggled academically. I struggled very much in chapel hill, in college. When I was 17 andt off to college, I had a very hard time, more so than others, forming new friendships and especially friendships with boys. And I had academic problems. 11:02:05 AM Sen. Feinstein >> What -- when we spoke and it became very clear how deeply you felt about this and the need that you wanted to remain confidential, can you talk a little bit about that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. So I was watching carefully throughout the summer -- well, my original intent, I want to remind, was to communicate with everyone when there was still a list of candidates who all seemed to be just from my perspective, from what I could read, equally qualified. And I was in a hurry to try to get the information forward but didn't quite know how to do that. However, once he was selected and it seemed like he was popular and that it wasn't a sure vote, I was calculating daily the risk benefit for me of coming forward and wondering whether I would just be jumping in front of a train that was headed to where it was headed anyway and that I would just be 11:03:07 AM personally annihilated. Sen. Feinstein >> How did you decide to come Dr. Ford >> Ultimately, because reporters were sitting outside of my home trying to talk to my dog through the window. To calm the dog down. And a reporter appeared in my graduate classroom, and I mistook her for a student. And she came up to ask me a question, and I thought that she was a student, and it turned out she was a reporter. So at that point, I felt like enough was enough. People were calling my colleagues at Stanford and leaving messages on their voice mails and on their e-mails saying that they knew my name. Clearly people knew my address because they were out in front of my house, and it just -- the mounting pressure seemed like it was time to just say what I needed to say. 110345 Sen. Feinstein >> I'm sorry. I want to ask you one question about the attack itself. 11:04:11 AM You are very clear about the attack, being pushed into the room. You say you don't know quite by whom, but that it was Brett Kavanaugh that covered your mouth to prevent you from screaming. And then you escaped. How are you so sure that it was he? Dr. Ford >> The same way I'm sure I'm talking to you right now. Basic memory functions. And also just the level of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain that sort of, as you know, encodes that neurotransmitter encodes memories into the hippocampus so the trauma related experience is locked there where as other details kind of drift. 110444 Sen. Feinstein >> So what you're telling us is this could not be a case of mistaken identity. Dr. Ford >> Absolutely not. Sen. Feinstein >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Ms. Mitchell for Senator 11:05:14 AM Hatch. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we were stopped, you were going to tell us a third correction that you wanted to make on that statement, or I'm sorry, the letter to senator Feinstein. Dr. Ford >> It wasn't a correction, but I wanted to comment on it since we were looking at this letter. That I did see mark judge once at the Potomac village safe way after the time of the attack, and it would be helpful with anyone's resources if to figure out when he worked there, if people are wanting more details from me about when the attack occurred, if we could find out when he worked there, then I could provide a more detailed timeline as to when the attack occurred. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, and that -- so that is not a correction in your statement. Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You also wrote out a hand-written statement for the morning, have you told us everything that you remember about the day leading up to that? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Let me ask just a few questions to make sure you have thought of everything, okay. You indicated that you were at the country club swimming that day. Dr. Ford >> That's my best estimate of how this could have happened. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And when you say best estimate, is that based on the fact that you said you went there pretty much every day. Dr. Ford >> Mm-hmm. Rachel Mitchell >> Is that a yes? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall prior to getting there, so I'm only talking about up to the gathering, had you had anything to drink? Dr. Ford >> Not at all. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you on any sort of medication? Dr. Ford >> None. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall knowing before you went who was going to be at that gathering? 11:08:01 AM Dr. Ford >> I recall that expecting that Mark Judge and Leyland would be at that gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Do you recall an expectation that Brett Kavanaugh would be there? Dr. Ford >> I don't recall whether or not I expected that. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, let's talk about the gathering up from the time you arrived till when you went up the stairs, just that period of time, okay? What was the atmosphere like at the gathering? Dr. Ford >> Um, Mr. Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge were extremely inebriated. They had clearly been drinking prior, and the other people at the party were not. Rachel Mitchell >> Can I ask you just to follow up on that? When you said it was clear they had been drinking prior, do you mean prior to the time you had gotten there or prior to the time they had arrived? Dr. Ford >> Prior to the time that they arrived. I don't recall who arrived first 11:09:03 AM though. Whether it was me or them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Please continue. Dr. Ford >> Okay. So I recall that I could -- I can sketch a floor plan. I recall that it was a sparsely furnished, fairly modest living room. And it was not really a party like the news has made it sound. It was just a gathering that I assumed was going to lead to a party later on that those boys would attend because they tended to have parties later at night than I was allowed to stay out. So it was kind of a pre-gathering. Rachel Mitchell >> Was it loud? Dr. Ford >> No. Not in the living room. Rachel Mitchell >> Besides the music that you have described that was playing in the bedroom, was there any other music or television or anything like that that was adding? Dr. Ford >> No. Rachel Mitchell >> So there wasn't a stereo playing downstairs? Dr. Ford >> No. 11:10:02 AM Senator Chuck Grassley >> Senator Leahy. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Dr. Ford, thank you for being here. Mr. Chairman, you know, the way to make this inquiry truly credible is to do what we have always done when new information of a nominee comes to light. To use your words this morning, you want to reach the truth. The easy way to do that, ask the FBI to investigate. It's what we have always done. Let them investigate, report back to us. The same applies to the serious allegations made by Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. Let's have a nonpartisan, professional investigation. And then take the time to have these witnesses testify. Chairman, you and I were both here 27 years ago. At that time, the senate failed Anita Hill. I said I believed her. But I'm concerned that we're doing a lot less for these three 11:11:04 AM women today. That's my personal view. 111106 Now, Dr. Ford, no matter what happens with this hearing today, no matter what happens with this nomination, I know and I hear from so many of my own state of Vermont, 111117 there are millions of victims and survivors out there who have been inspired by your courage. I am. Bravery is contagious. Indeed, that's the driving force behind the Me Too movement. And you sharing your story is going to have a lasting positive impact on so many survivors in our country. We owe you a debt of gratitude for that, doctor. Now, some senators have suggested you were simply mixed up about who assaulted you. An ally of judge Kavanaugh in the White House even promoted a wild theory about a Cavanaugh lookalike. You immediately rejected that 11:12:01 AM theory. As did the innocent man who had been called that look alike. In fact, he sent a letter to this committee forcibly rejecting this absurd theory. I ask consent to enter that in the record. Senator Chuck Grassley >> Without objection. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Now, how did you know Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge? Is it possible that you would mix them up with somebody else? Dr. Ford >> No, it is not. And the person that was blamed for the incident is actually the person who introduced me to them originally. So he was a member of Columbia country club, and I don't want to talk about him because I think it's unfair, but he is the person that introduced me to them. Senator Patrick Leahy >> But you would not mix up somebody else with Brett Kavanaugh, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Or Mark Judge? Dr. Ford >> Correct. 111258 Senator Patrick Leahy >> Then let's go back to the incident. What is the strongest memory you have? The strongest memory of the incident? Something that you cannot forget. Take whatever time you need. Dr. Ford >> Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter. The uproarious laughter between the two. And their having fun at my expense. Senator Patrick Leahy >> You have never forgotten that laughter. Never forgotten them laughing at you. Dr. Ford >> They were laughing with each other. Senator Patrick Leahy >> And you were the object of the laughter? Dr. Ford >> I was, you know, underneath one of them while the two laughed. Two friends having a really good time with one another. Senator Patrick Leahy >> Let me enter into the record a statement by the National task 11:14:05 AM force to end domestic violence. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> A letter from 24 members of the house of representatives urging the committee to use the trauma approach in questioning Dr. Ford. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection. Sen. Leahy >> And a letter from another 116 members of the house asking to delay until all of this has been heard. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford has at times been criticized for what she doesn't remember from 36 years but we have numerous experts that say lapses of memory are wholly consistent with severe trauma and stress of assault. I would ask consent that be entered. Sen. Grassley >> Without objection, so ordered. Sen. Leahy >> And Dr. Ford, I'll just conclude with this. You do remember what happened, do you not? Dr. Ford >> Very much so. 11:15:21 AM Sen. Leahy >> Thank you. Thank you. Sen. Grassley >> Now Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham, and then it's my understanding that that's where you would like to take a break. Dr. Ford >> Does that work for you? Does that work for you as well? Sen. Grassley >> We're here to accommodate you. Dr. Ford >> Thank you. I'm used to being collegial. Sen. Grassley >> Go ahead. Ms. Mitchell for Senator Graham. Rachel Mitchell >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You told senator Feinstein in your letter that you and four others were present. You have corrected that today to say it was at least four others. When you were interviewed by "The Washington post," you said that there were four boys present at the party. And then in your polygraph statement, you say there were four boys and two girls. When you say two girls, was that you and another or was that two other girls? Dr. Ford >> That was me and one other girl. Rachel Mitchell >> And that other girl's name? 11:16:22 AM Dr. Ford >> Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Leyland Kaiser now? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. So then would it be fair to say at least P.J., Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, Leyland Ingram at the time, and yourself were present and possibly others? Dr. Ford >> And one other boy, so there were four boys. I just don't know the name of the other boy. 111633 Rachel Mitchell >> Have you been contacted by anybody saying, hey, I was at that party too? Dr. Ford >> No, I haven't talked with anyone from that party. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now, you've been detailed about what happened once you got up the stairs. And so I don't need to go through that again. I'm sorry, go ahead. Dr. Ford >> I'm sorry, I just realized I said something that was inaccurate. I said I hadn't spoken with anyone from the party since that day. I have spoken with Leyland. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, thank you for 11:17:23 AM correcting that. I appreciate that. Rachel Mitchell >> You have gone into detail about what happened once you went up the stairs so I don't feel like it's necessary to go over those things again. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Thank you. Rachel Mitchell >> Have you told us everything that you do remember about it? Dr. Ford >> I believe so, but if there are other questions, I can attempt to answer them. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. >> You said that the music was solely coming from that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And it was turned up once the three of you were inside that room, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> Yes. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. At some point, do you recall it being turned down? Dr. Ford >> I don't remember if it was turned down once I was leaving the house. I don't remember. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> Likely, since I could hear them walking down the stairs very clearly from the bathroom. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. And the bathroom door was closed when you heard this, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I could hear them very clearly hitting the walls going down the stairwell. 11:18:24 AM Rachel Mitchell >> In fact, in your letter, you said that they went down the stairs and they were talking with other people in the house. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Were you able to hear that conversation? Dr. Ford >> I was not able to hear that conversation, but I was aware they were downstairs and that I would have to walk past them to get out of the house. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Now let me make sure we're on the same page. Were you not able to hear the conversation or not able to understand the conversation? Dr. Ford >> I couldn't hear the conversation. I was upstairs. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay, how do you know there was a conversation? Dr. Ford >> Just assuming since it was a social gathering people were talking. I don't know. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. Dr. Ford >> I heard them talking as they went down the stairwell. They were laughing. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. In your letter, you wrote both loudly stumbled down the stairwell, at which point, other persons at the house were talking with them. Does that ring a bell? Dr. Ford >> Yes, I had to walk past everyone to leave the house, so -- 11:19:26 AM >> Maybe I'm not understanding, I'm sorry. Rachel Mitchell >> Your next sentence, let me try to clarify this. After you said other persons at the house were talking with them, the letter goes on with the very next sentence, I exited the bathroom, ran out of the house, and went home. Dr. Ford >> Correct. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. You said that you do not remember how you got home, is that correct? Dr. Ford >> I do not remember, other than I did not drive home. Rachel Mitchell >> Okay. I'm going to show you, if somebody could provide to you a map of the various people's houses at the time, and if you could verify that this is where you were living at the time. Dr. Ford >> Where I was living at the Rachel Mitchell >> Yes. Dr. Ford >> Okay. Rachel Mitchell >> Mr. Chairman, do we have a copy of these documents? Sen. Grassley >> We do not have a copy. I assume if you want one, we could give you one. 11:20:27 AM Rachel Mitchell >> Yes, before the questions begin so we could follow the testimony. Sen. Grassley >> My staff says we should not provide the copy. Oh, we will -- speak plainly with me, please. >> Sure. I would like to see what she's looking at. >> You have another 30 seconds now because I was rudely interrupted. >> Okay. Mr. Chairman, senator Harris, we do have a blown-up copy of this for members view, if that's helpful. >> Okay. I'm going to put check marks next to homes that I can confirm are the correct locations. And then an X or a question mark when I don't know where these people live. >> I'm only asking you to confirm if that map accurately shows where you were living at the time. >> Where I lived at the time. I can't see the street name, but I'm happy to refer to the address or neighborhood. >> Could you tell us that? >> Yes, river falls. 11:21:27 AM Near the, like -- what is the place called? The naval research center on Clara Barton parkway. >> Was that a house or an >> My parents' home. >> Okay. All right. >> Senator Durbin. >> Mr. Chairman, I ask consent to enter into the record letters of support for Dr. Ford from her classmates at Holton arms school, 1200 alumni of the school, 195 of your colleague, students, and mentors, 1400 men and women who attended D.C. Schools, and 15 members of the Yale law school faculty calling for a full FBI investigation. I ask consent to enter these into record. >> Without objection, so Sen. Durbin >> As difficult as this experience must be, I want you to know your courage in coming forward has given countless Americans the strength to face their own life-shattering past and begin to heal their wounds. By example, you have brought many families into an honest and sometimes painful dialogue that 11:22:14 AM should have occurred a long time ago. I'll sorry for what this has done to you and your family. No one, no one should face harassment, death threats, and disparaging comments by cheap shot politicians simply for telling the truth. You and your family should know that for every scurrilous charge and every pathetic tweet, there have been thousands of Americans, women and men, who believe you, support you, and thank you for your courage. Watching your experience, it's no wonder that many sexual assault survivors hide their past and spend their lives suffering in pained silence. You had absolutely nothing to gain by bringing these facts to the senate judiciary committee. The fact that you are testifying here today, terrified though you may be, the fact that you have called for an FBI investigation of this incident, the fact that you are prepared to name both Judge Kavanaugh and eyewitness Mark Judge, stands in sharp contrast to the obstruction we have seen on the other side. 11:23:16 AM The FBI should have investigated your charges as they did in the Anita Hill hearing, but they did not. Mark Judge should be subpoenaed from his Bethany beach hideaway and required to testify under oath, but he has not. Judge Kavanaugh, if he truly believes there's no evidence, no witnesses that can prove your case, should be joining us in demanding a thorough FBI investigation. But he has not. 112345 Today, you come before this committee and before this nation alone. I know you're joined by counsel and family. The prosecutor on the Republican side will continue to ask questions to test your memory and veracity. After spending decades trying to forget that awful night, it's no wonder your recollection is less than perfect. A polished liar can create a seamless story, but a trauma survivor cannot be expected to remember every painful detail. 11:24:15 AM That's what Senator Leahy has mentioned earlier. One question is critical. In Judge Kavanaugh's opening testimony, which we'll hear after you leave, this is what he says: "I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time." Last night, the Republican staff of this committee released to the media a timeline that shows that they have interviewed two people who claim they were the ones who actually assaulted you. I'm asking you to address this new defense of mistaken identity directly. 112457 Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you? Dr. Ford >> 100%. Sen. Durbin >> 100%. In the letter which you sent to Dr -- or Senator Feinstein, you wrote, "I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault. I did see Mark Judge once at the 11:25:17 AM Potomac Village safeway where he was extremely uncomfortable in seeing me. 112521 Would you please describe that encounter at the safeway with Mark Judge and what led you to believe he was uncomfortable? Dr. Ford >> Yes. I was going to the Potomac Village safeway, this was the one on the corner of Falls and River road. And I was with my mother. And I was a teenager, so I wanted her to go in one door and me go in the other. So I chose the wrong door because the door I chose was the one where Mark Judge was -- looked like he was working there. And arranging the shopping carts. And I said hello to him. And his face was white. And very uncomfortable saying hello back. And we had previously been friendly at the times we saw each other over the previous two 11:26:17 AM years. Albeit, not many times, we had always been friendly with one another. I wouldn't characterize him as not friendly. He was just nervous and not really wanting to speak with me. He looked a little bit ill. Sen. Durbin >> How long did this occur after the incident? Dr. Ford >> I would estimate six to eight Sen. Durbin >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sen. Grassley >> Before we take a break, I can't let what Durbin, Senator Durbin said, by the way, he's my friend. We work on a lot of legislation together, but you talked about the obstruction from the other side. I cannot let it go by, what you have heard me say so many times, that between July 30th and September 13th, there were 45 days this committee could have been investigating this situation, and her privacy would have been protected. So something happened here in between on your side that the whole country -- not the whole 11:27:19 AM country should have known about it, no, not know about. We should have investigated it. We'll take a break now for 15 minutes.

President Barack Obama town hall in New Hampshire - STIX 14:05:11 PRESIDENT OBAMA: (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Hello, Nashua. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, guys. (Cheers and applause continuing.) Thank you. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you so much. Everybody, please, have a seat. Thank you. Well, it is -- AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Off mike.) 14:05:34 PRESIDENT OBAMA: I love you back. It's great to be here. (Cheers, applause.) Great to be back in New Hampshire. (Cheers.) Now, some you may remember I've spent a little time in this state. (Cheers.) I've had beers at Peddler's Daughter. (Cheers.) I manned the scoop at ice cream socials from Dover to Hudson. I've walked Main Street in Concord, visited with folks in all 10 counties. I even once flew in the airport in Milan, which has got to be one of the only airports with a functioning wood stove. (Laughter.) We've spent a bunch of times in this gym, caused traffic jams several times, and just have a lot of good friends here in this state, here in this city and here in this -- here in this high school. So I'm just grateful to all of you for taking the time to be here. I've got a couple of special thank-yous to say. First of all, please thank Tim Dining (sp) for the wonderful introduction and for the great work that he's doing day in and day out. (Applause.) I want to thank David Ryan, doing a great job as principal here at Nashua North. (Cheers, applause.) Mayor Donnalee Lozeau is here. Give her a big round of applause. (Cheers, applause.) Your outstanding governor, John Lynch, is here. (Cheers, applause.) Give John a big round of applause. Three great members of Congress: Senator Jeanne Shaheen -- (cheers, applause) -- Congressman Paul Hodes -- (cheers, applause) -- Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (cheers, applause) -- and behind me 14:11:31 I've got the outstanding administrator for our Small Business Administration, who hails from these parts, Karen Mills. Give Karen -- (applause) -- a big round of applause. So I want to spend a bunch of time hearing from you, answering your questions. But if you'll indulge me, I want to make some -- some brief remarks on the front end. 14:08:16 You know, I've had the privilege of getting to know people here in New Hampshire. I've seen first-hand that spirit of independence and spirit of self-reliance. I know how hard all of you work, and how tough and resilient you are. But I also know that people here in New Hampshire have been tested by the last two years, just like people all across the country. We've gone through the deepest recession since the Great Depression, and folks here have had their lives uprooted by lost jobs and foreclosed homes, shuttered businesses, 14:08:55 vanished savings. Many good, hardworking people who met their responsibilities are now struggling, in part because folks on Wall Street and people in Washington didn't meet their responsibilities. So when I took office, we knew the first thing we had to do was to break the back of this recession. And sometimes that meant doing some things that weren't easy; doing some things that weren't popular. Lord knows it wasn't popular to prevent our financial system from collapsing. We had to throw a lifeline to some of the very firms that had helped cause this crisis in the first place. But it was the right thing to do, because if we hadn't taken those steps, the entire system could have gone down and taken our economy and millions of families and businesses with it. We couldn't afford that. Now, because of the steps we've taken, the markets have now stabilized. Nobody's worrying about another Great Depression like they were just a year ago, and the worst of the storm has passed. But I don't need to tell you the devastation remains. 14:09:58 Today, one in 10 Americans still can't find work. That's why jobs has to be our number-one focus in 2010. (Cheers, applause.) And we're going to start where most new jobs start, with small businesses. These are the companies that begin in basements and garages, when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream, or a workers decides it's time she becomes her own boss. 14:10:36 They're companies like ARC Energy, which I just visited before I came here. It's a terrific -- (cheers, applause) -- there you go. They brought boosters. (Laughter.) These folks are hard at work on a new manufacturing process for ultra-efficient LED lights that will make them more affordable for people all across the country and around the world. The technology they've created is the only of its kind in the entire world. They're this little business just on Amherst Street. But they've got the potential to revolutionize an entire industry. Right here in Nashua, right here in Nashua. (Cheers, applause.) Now, small businesses like ARC Energy have created roughly 65 percent of all new jobs over the past decade and a half. So we need to make it easier for them to open their doors, to expand their operations, to hire more workers. 14:26:49 That's why I've already proposed a new tax credit, for more than 1 million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, and a tax incentive for all businesses, large and small, to invest in new plants and equipment. And while we're at it, we should eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, so these folks can get the capital they need to grow and create jobs. And when they start making a profit, they can put -- put those profits back into the business. 14:12:16 Now, that's particularly critical right now, because bank lending standards have tightened since the financial crisis. And many small businesses are struggling to get loans. 14:12:27 And that's why today I'm announcing a proposal to take $30 billion of the money that was repaid by Wall Street banks, now that they're back on their feet, take that $30 billion and use it to create a new small-business lending fund that will provide capital for community banks on Main Street. (Cheers, applause.) It's the small, local banks that work most closely with small businesses, that usually provide them their first loan; they watch them grow through good times and bad. The more loans these smaller banks provide to creditworthy small businesses, the better deal we'll give them on capital from this fund that we've set up. If you combine it with my proposal back in December to continue waiving fees and increasing guarantees for SBA-backed loans, all this will help small banks do even more of what our economy needs, and that's ensure that small businesses are once again the engine of job growth in America. (Applause.) I'm convinced we can make that happen. 14:13:39 This is just one example of what we've been doing to create jobs this past year. As some of you might remember, last February we passed the recovery act, which had three parts. One-third was tax relief for small businesses and for 95 percent of you, 95 percent of working families. One-third of the recovery act was emergency relief, like increasing unemployment benefits and helping states keep teachers and police officers and firefighters from losing their jobs. And one- third was putting people to work on infrastructure and renewable energy and medical research and more. Now, if you hear some of the critics, they'll say, well, the recovery act, I don't know if that's really worked, because we still have high unemployment. But what they fail to understand is that every economist, from the left and the right, has said, because of the recovery act, what we've started to see is at least a couple of million jobs that have either been created or would have been lost. The problem is, 7 million jobs were lost during the course of this recession. 14:14:55 So we've still got a big hole to fill. It's going to be absolutely critical that Congress act over the next several months to make sure that we don't lose sight of the fact that even though economy's now growing again -- almost 6 percent last quarter -- people have not started hiring again. And we've got to do everything we can to put people back to work -- (applause) -- because we need a sustainable recovery over the long term. 14:15:30 Now I -- I've got to be honest with you. There's no magic wand that makes the economic problems that were years in the making disappear overnight. And sometimes it's easy for politicians to exploit the anger, the pain that people are feeling right now. I have to point out, though, that some of the very same folks in Congress who opposed the recovery act and claimed that it hasn't worked have been all too happy to claim credit for recovery act projects and the jobs those projects have produced. (Light applause.) They come to the ribbon-cuttings and -- (chuckles). (Laughter.) They -- they've found a way to have their cake and -- and vote against it too. (Laughter.) 14:16:11 But look, we're -- we're making progress, but it can't come fast enough. We want to accelerate it. And we know that if we truly want to have long-term economic growth in this country, then we need to start addressing some of the struggles that middle-class families have been dealing with for years, long 14:16:33 before this particular recession hit. This past decade has been one of the toughest our middle class has faced in generations because folks have seen their paychecks shrink, their housing prices fall, while the cost of everything, from groceries to health care to college, keeps going up. So a lot of you are working two jobs. Certainly everybody in your household's working. You're working longer hours. But you feel like you're treading water, and in some cases, it's not adding up. A lot of people put their kids to bed wondering whether they'll be able to give them opportunities in life that they got from their parents. And -- and the thing, New Hampshire, when I was up here campaigning, I told you, I didn't run for president to kick these challenges down the road. I didn't run for president to play it safe. I didn't run just to keep my poll numbers high as possible for the next election. I ran to solve problems for the next generation. I ran to get the hard things done. That's why you elected me. (Cheers, applause.) 14:17:44 So I won't rest until businesses are hiring again and wages are rising again and the middle class is thriving again and we've finally got an economy that works for all Americans -- not just some Americans. I won't rest until we do what we know has to be done to secure our leadership in the twenty -- 21st century. I don't want to cede our future to China and India and European countries. I'm not willing to settle for second place. Not for the United States of America. (Applause.) But -- but if we're going to win the race, here's the thing: I can't do this alone. Democrats can't do it alone. The president can't do it alone. We've got two parties in this country, and that's a good thing. It means we've got heated debates and vigorous disagreements. And as messy as democracy sometimes is, it means bad ideas can be discarded and good ones can be refined, and we don't go too far to any one extreme. That's the genius of American democracy. So I was very pleased when the House Republican Caucus graciously invited me to attend their retreat last week. (Laughter, cheers, applause.) Yup, we had a good time, for more than an hour. For more than an hour, we had a frank exchange about the issues facing our country, and we aired some of our grievances, we shared some ideas. There were plenty of things on which we didn't agree, but there were also some things on which we did, and even more things that we should agree on if we could just focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points. (Applause.) AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah! 14:19:41 PRESIDENT OBAMA: For example, we all agree that education is the key to a 21st-century economy. (Cheers, applause.) We all -- we all agree that the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. So -- so why don't we work together to transform our schools so that every child in America can compete with their counterparts around the world, from Beijing to Bangalore? Let's work together to upgrade our community colleges -- (cheers, applause) -- which are the gateway to a career for so many children from so many working families. 14:20:27 And I know we've got a lot of young people who are about to head off to college. In an era when a high school diploma is no longer a guarantee of a good job, let's make college affordable for every qualified student. (Cheers, applause.) As I said in the State of the Union, no graduate should have to pay more than 10 percent of his or her income on student loans each year. (Applause.) We can see to it that they don't. We can see to it that they don't. We've got legislation pending right now that can make this happen. The Republicans and Democrats may not see eye to eye on the threat of global warming. I happen to think the evidence is overwhelming. (Applause.) Some disagree. That's -- we can have a respectful argument there. But shouldn't we agree that American homegrown energy is good for our security and that new, clean-energy jobs are good for our economy? (Applause.) Can't we all agree that these jobs shouldn't be going to China or Germany or Spain, they should be right here in the United States of America? (Cheers, applause.) 14:21:49 So let's invest in innovation. Let's put people to work on solar panels and wind towers and cutting-edge batteries. Because the nation that leads the clean-energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy, and America has to be that nation. (Applause.) These are key parts of the foundation we need to build for a better future for our families, for our country. Another foundation stone is fixing a health insurance system that works better for insurance industry than it does for the American people. (Cheers, applause.) I do not quit. We are going to get that done. (Applause.) Nobody -- (cheers and applause continuing). We've got to get it done. (Cheers and applause continuing.) We have to get it done! Nobody -- nobody should be satisfied with a system that allows insurance companies to deny care to folks with preexisting conditions -- (cheers, applause) -- that allows insurance companies to kick people off their plans when they get too sick. Nobody should accept a system where small businesses are forced to pay outrageous premiums to get their workers covered -- (applause) -- and seniors have big gaps in their Medicare prescription coverage. 14:23:32 Nobody should accept another decade in which health-insurance premiums double and millions lose their coverage altogether. (Applause.) There was just a report the other day that showed even greater numbers of Americans now are having to rely on government insurance, not because of my plan, but because employer-based insurance has declined to an all-time low. Now, these are the things that I hear about every day in the letters I get from families going bankrupt, from small businesses crushed by their health-care costs. So I am not going to walk away from these efforts. I will not walk away from these people. (Cheers, extended applause.) And Congress shouldn't 14:24:12 either. We should keep working to get it done, Democrats and Republicans together. Let's get it done this year! Now, finally, we should all be able to agree that we've got to do something about our long-term deficits. Now, these deficits won't just burden our kids and our grandkids decades from now, they could damage our markets now; they could drive up our interest rates now; they could jeopardize our recovery right now. Responsible families don't do their budgets the way the federal government does. (Laughter.) All right? 14:25:13 When times are tough, you -- you tighten your belts. You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices. It's time your government did the same. Now -- (applause) -- that's why -- that's why I continue to insist on making investments for job growth this year, why I continue to insist that we put more money into education; that's why I say we put more money into science and technology -- (applause) -- for innovation; that's why I continue to believe that we've got to invest in our infrastructure -- (applause) -- so that we are building the kind of America that can compete in the 21st century. Those are smart investments. That's like buying the new boiler. If it's busted, you've got to get a new boiler. If the roof is leaking, you've got to fix the roof. There are some things you've got to do. But you can put off buying the new curtains, even if it would be nice to have. (Laughter.) You know, that remodeling the bathroom -- I mean, everything is working. (Laughter.) You don't need it right now. I mean, what we've been having are folks who want to buy the curtains but don't want to fix the boiler. And our priorities have to change. (Applause.) That's why I've proposed cutting more than 120 government programs, consolidating ones that are duplicative, reducing ones that are wasteful and eliminating those that just don't work. (Applause.) That's why I've proposed to cap government spending over the next three years. Spending related to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and our national security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. That doesn't mean we have to do less. It just means we've got to do more with the money we've got. 14:40:43 That's why I'm grateful that both the House and Senate have now voted to reinstate what's called the PAYGO rule. It's a very novel concept. It means, pay as you go. (Laughter, applause.) By the way, that is not to be confused with Paul Hodes's wife, Peggo. (Laughter.) That's a different -- although I really like her too. (Laughter.) So the PAYGO rule helped create those record surpluses back in the 1990s -- do you remember that; that was way back when -- (laughter) -- instead of the record deficits that we had when I came into office. And the concept here is -- as I said, it's very simple. You want to start a new program? Go ahead. But you've got to cut another one to pay for it. That's how we'll make sure we're spending your money wisely. You want to cut taxes for somebody? That might be a good idea, but you got to find a way to close the revenue hole so that everything actually adds up. That's how we'll get our deficit under control. That's something that Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree to, if we could just stop playing politics, get past the Washington game. Now, let me just -- (cheers, applause) -- let me just give you an example here. Because, you know, we -- we released the budget. Right away, the other side says, "Oh, look at all these, you know, trillions of dollars, debt." Absolutely. I mean, I'm concerned about it very much. It keeps me awake at night looking at all that red ink. Most of it is structural, and we inherited it. (Soft applause.) The only way that we are going to fix it is if both parties come together and start making some tough decisions about our long-term priorities. But last week, the Senate blocked a law that I had supported to create a bipartisan fiscal commission that would come up with a set of recommendations for cutting our deficits in the long term. This -- this is a difficult thing. It -- it's only going to be solved if we do it together. This law failed by seven votes, when seven Republicans -- who had cosponsored the bill! -- (laughter) -- had cosponsored the idea -- suddenly walked away from their own proposal after I endorsed it. (Laughter.) So they -- they make a proposal; they sign on to the bill; I say, great, good idea; I turn around -- (laughter) -- they're gone! What happened? Now -- (chuckles) -- (laughter) -- it -- look, it -- it -- it's one thing to have a(n) honest difference of opinion on something. There's nothing wrong with that. But you can't walk away from your responsibilities to confront the challenges facing the country because you don't think it's good short-term politics. (Cheers, applause.) We can't afford that. We can't afford that. (Applause.) Now the -- the message you all sent when you elected me, the message that was sent this past month is, whether you're Democrat, Republican, independent, you're out of patience. You're out of patience with this kind of business as usual. You want us to start worrying less about our jobs and more about your job. (Cheers, applause.) You want us -- you want us to worry less about our election and more about solving your problems. And for once you'd like a government that reflects a sense of responsibility and decency and generosity, because that's how you try to live your lives. (Applause.) That's -- that's the spirit that led students here at Nashua North to spring into action in the wake of the tragedy in Haiti. And I want to congratulate you guys for planning fundraisers and selling ribbons and collecting money at lunch, all to help folks that they've never known in a place that most of them have never been. (Applause.) That's -- they're proud of you for that. That's good work. That's good work. It's that same spirit that drives small business owners, like Tim and -- and like Kedar Gupta, the CEO of ARC Energy. I told you about him. He -- the -- told about the company. These are the two guys who are 14:32:40 running it right here. Now -- now -- (light applause) -- Kedar -- Kedar founded ARC, but he also, years before, co-founded a company called GT Solar, with just a thousand dollars. It now has 343 employees, hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. And as he was growing that company, nursing it from a thousand dollars, he made sure his employees shared in the company's profits. When the company hit hard times, he cut his own salary first. When talking about his philosophy of business, he explains that many CEOs take a "Me, me and me" approach -- (soft laughter) -- but his approach has been "we," not about benefitting just himself, but lifting his employees too, and his community. (Applause.) We -- we need that kind of spirit. We've come through a tough year and a tough decade. But that fundamental decency, that sense of determination, that grit, that willingness to word hard in pursuit of a good idea, the determination to do what's right -- that's been at the core of the American experience. And that should fill us all with optimism about what lies ahead. 14:34:00 So let's put aside the small things. Let's come together. Let's do what's hard. Let's welcome what's hard. Let's welcome the challenge. Let's do what's necessary to help the middle class succeed again, to give our shot -- our kids a shot at their dreams again, and to fulfill the promise of this great country; in our time, in our generation. (Applause.) That's our task. Thank you very much everybody. God bless you. God bless the United Sates of America. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you. (Applause continuing.) All right, thank you. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, guys. Thank you. All right. Okay. We -- you know, when in New England, we got to do the town hall. (Laughter.) You guys have been -- AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Off mike.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. God bless you. 14:35:21 Now, some -- a lot of you guys have been in these before, so you know the drill. I'm going to call girl, boy, girl, boy. (Laughter.) There are microphones in -- there are microphones in the audience. And I will try to get in as many questions as possible. And it'd be nice if you introduce yourself so that people know who you are. And don't yell out. AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Off mike.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: (Chuckles.) (Laughter.) Just raise your hand and I'll call on you -- although she seems very eager, so -- (laughter) -- go ahead. All right. We're going to start right around here. Q (Off mike) -- I'm from Fairfield, Connecticut. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hey -- uh, oh! Hey! (Laughter.) How did this -- how did this Connecticut person sneak in here? Q That's right. PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right, go ahead. I love people in Connecticut. Go ahead. 14:36:11 Q Thank you. Due to the great health care in this country, I'm a three-time cancer survivor -- (cheers, applause) -- PRESIDENT OBAMA: We're proud of you. Q -- but like -- but, like many cancer patients, was pushed out of a job. I was lucky enough to be able to retire early, buy into the retirees' health plan and then start my own successful business. (Applause.) However, this is not the case for most people with chronic illnesses. Health care for cancer survivors is more expensive. How are the jobs bill and the proposed health-care legislation going to account for the level of variability of the needs of cancer survivors? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, look. First of all, we're proud of you. You look great. (Chuckles.) Didn't say you agree, huh? You -- you should. (Laughter.) Q Health-wise I'm great. (Laughs.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oh -- well, you look good, too! Go ahead. (Laughter.) Q Thank you. (Laughs.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: (Laughs.) The -- there are -- there are a couple aspects to this. First of all, I think we shouldn't lose sight of the 14:37:06 enormous potential in the -- new branches of medicine to go after cancer. I was over at NIH, the National Institute for Health (sic). We've increased funding drastically. This is an area that should be one of our competitive advantages, right? We have the best scientists in the world; we've got the best universities in the world; we have traditionally led in innovation. And the more money we're putting in -- you know, they're starting to come up with drugs that only kill the cancer cells and don't kill healthy cells, or that can be tailored to a particular kind of cancer that's matched up 14:37:58 because of new genetic information. So there's enormous potential here that -- to go after cures. And that involves the kind of research and investment that we've made. In our health-care bill, one of the most important components was the idea, the basic principle, that nobody should have to go without health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. (Applause.) Nobody should have to go after -- go without health insurance without -- because of a pre-existing condition. 14:38:38 Now, this is something that's very popular if you just say it in isolation. But when you start explaining what is required to make that happen, then sometimes some people get a little nervous. You can't have insurance companies have to take somebody who's sick, who's got a pre-existing condition, if you don't have everybody covered or at least almost everybody covered. And the reason, if you think about it, is simple. If you had a situation where not everybody was covered but an insurance company had to take you, because you were sick, what everybody would do is, they'd just wait till they got sick and then they'd go buy an insurance, right? And so the potential would be there to game the system. The reason I point that out is because a lot of the reforms that we've proposed fit together. So we want insurance reforms that make sure that a cancer survivor can still get health insurance. But to do that, we want to make sure that everybody has health insurance, which in turn allows us to cut back on some wasteful spending and help upgrade hospitals and doctors and how they perform medicine, because now they're not dealing with as many emergency room patients. So the cost control 14:39:57 aspects of it, the coverage aspects of it and the insurance reform aspects of it all fit together. Here's the problem though, is when you've got all those things fitting together, it ends up being a big, complicated bill. And it's very easy to scare the daylights out of people. And that's basically what happened during the course of this year's debate. But here's the good news. We're essentially on the five-yard- line, for those who like football analogies. We've had to go into overtime. But we are now in the red zone. That's exactly right. We're in the red zone. We've got to punch it through. What I have said is that both the House bill and the Senate bill were 90 percent there. Ten percent of each bill, people had some problems with and legitimately so. So we were just about to clean those up, and then the Massachusetts election happened. Suddenly 14:41:14 everybody says, oh, no, it's over. Well, no, it's not over. We just have to make sure that we move methodically and that the American people understand exactly what's in the bill. And what I've done is, I've said to the Republicans, show me what you've got. You've been sitting on the sidelines criticizing what we're proposing. I'm happy to defend insurance reforms. I'm happy to defend the fact that we need to provide 30 million people with access to coverage. I'm happy to defend the need to provide small businesses an ability to pool so that they can have the same purchasing power that the big companies have and drive down their premiums and drive down their rates for their employees. I'm happy to have these debates; I just want to see what else you've got. And if you've got a good idea, great. You know, I -- at the Republican Caucus, they held up -- they said, we've got a plan; it's going to provide everybody coverage at no cost. And I said, well, if that were true, why wouldn't I take it? I -- my wife, Michelle, thinks I'm stubborn sometimes, but I'm not that stubborn. So okay, let me think: I could have everybody get health-care coverage with high quality, and it's free, which I'll bet is really popular. But I'm not going to do that. (Chuckles.) I'm going to go through the pain of really working through this hard process in Congress, getting yelled at and called a socialist, because you know, I just -- that's how I roll. I -- I'm a glutton for punishment. (Laughter, applause.) 14:42:56 No! Look, if this were easy and simple, first of all, somebody would have done it before. Seven president have failed at this. Seven Congresses have failed at this. If this were simple, it would have already been done. It's not. This is one-sixth of our economy. It's extremely complex. But I want everybody to understand here: The health-care proposal we put forward is basically the same shape as the proposal that was put forward by Tom Daschle, former Senate Democratic majority leader, Bob Dole and Howard Baker, two Republican Senate leaders. So it can't be that radical. It's -- it's a very straightforward principle that says we're going to set up an exchange, a pool where people who don't have health insurance and small businesses who can't afford it right now can buy into the pool. If, even after we've driven premiums down because of increased competition and choice, you still can't afford it, we're going to give you a subsidy, depending on your income. We're going to ask that everybody get health insurance, but if you still can't afford it, we'll exempt you. We'll give you a hardship exemption, because there are some folks that, you know, it's just too tough. We are going to insist the insurance companies all abide by certain practices, like making sure that you take people with preexisting conditions; that you don't drop people just because they get sick. We then say that we have to control the costs of medicine, so we're going to set up a panel of experts -- doctors 14:44:37 and health-care economists -- who are going to scrutinize how we reimburse things like Medicare, to make sure that doctors are encouraged to work as teams; don't order five tests, if you could just do one test and then e-mail it to five different doctors. Pretty straightforward. Now, what I just described is the essence of what we're doing. And according to the Congressional 14:45:03 Budget Office, it would save $1 trillion in our deficit -- which is the single most important thing we can do, by the way, to reduce our deficit over the long term. Almost all the growth in deficit has nothing to do with my recovery act, and has everything to do with the growing cost of Medicare and Medicaid. All of -- almost all of it. You project out 20 -- 20, 30 years, almost all the growth is because health-care costs are just going out of control, and we've got an older population that's going to need more care. And if we can't figure out how to get a better bang for the buck, we're going to lose. So, here's my thing. You got a better idea? Bring it on. But what I will not do is to stop working on this issue -- (applause) -- because it is the right thing to do for America. And you need to let your members of Congress know they shouldn't give up, they should keep on pushing to make it happen. (Cheers, applause.) All right? (Cheers, applause.) Okay. All right. It's a guy's turn. It's a gentleman's turn. This gentleman right here in front. Go ahead. Hold on for a second, we've got a mike coming over here. (Chuckles.) That's right. Q Okay. I'm Gary Meyer (sp). I live in Hampton, New Hampshire, and I was a quality leader who worked with Lean. And I know you're well aware that there's a lot of non-value-added work, both within health care and within education and with -- within a lot of businesses and government. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right. Q You also talked eloquently about the need to have more jobs and to be more energy-efficient. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right. Q All these things together require that we get a health-care act, reform passed in the Senate, a better one than we have today, and that we also get a clean air act passed. Would you be willing to meet one on one with Senator Gregg to get these things passed in the Senate? Do you think? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oh, listen, the -- you know, I -- I'm willing to meet with anybody, including Senator 14:47:22 Gregg, who I offered a job to. (Laughter.) I don't know if you guys remember that. (Applause.) I -- I like Senator Gregg. I think he's a -- he's a serious person. But you know that -- that fiscal commission that I just talked about? That was Gregg's proposal. That was his proposal. It -- it was Senator Judd Gregg and Senator Kent Conrad. And they had been advocating for this for years. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate president -- Republican leader, had just a few months ago said this was the way to deal with this. So I said: Great. Let's do it. And suddenly they're gone. Now, not -- not Judd; Judd's still supportive of it. So what we're going to try to do it -- we're going to try to do by executive order. 14:48:19 My point is, the easiest thing to do in politics is to point fingers, to figure out, you know, who to blame for something, or make people afraid of things. That's the easiest way to get attention. That's what reporters will report on. You call somebody a name. You say: Look what a terrible thing they've done, and they're going to do more terrible things to you if you don't watch out. And you'll get a lot press attention and -- (audio break) -- EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency. And in order -- if you just wanted to cut the deficit to balance the budget only on non-discretionary -- or on discretionary, non-defense spending, so if you wanted to exempt out all the entitlements, exempt defense, you'd have to cut all those other things by 60 percent. Sixty percent. Can you imagine? So we've got to have an honest conversation about all the aspects of the budget. And that's what this commission was designed to do. That's why I think Judd Gregg was absolutely right. I support him on this. And we're going to set up a executive -- by executive order a commission to do this. But I want good ideas. It is not in my interest to bloat government with wasteful programs, because every time I spend money on a program that doesn't work, that's money that I'm not spending on early childhood education that would make a difference in a child's life -- (applause) -- or on college scholarships to send kids to school. We've got to -- we've got to use our money more wisely. But that can only be done if both parties are responding to the interests of the American people and not their short-term politics. All right. Let's see, a woman's turn. All right. That young lady up there. Yes, you. Yes! You sound surprised. (Pause.) Oh, wait, wait, wait. I was calling on this young lady in the black blouse right here. I'm sorry. Sorry about that. But it's nice to see you, though. I may call on you in a second. (Laughter.) Go ahead. Q My name is Ashley Sevens (ph) and I live here in Nashua and attend Nashua High South. There are a 14:52:12 lot of -- (applause). During your campaign, there was a lot of promises of transparency, but lately a lot of stuff in the media says that most of health care has been behind closed doors. I was just wondering how you would grade yourself on your transparent government. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, you know, I've got to be -- I've got to be careful about grading myself. But I will tell you that a recent independent watchdog group took a look and said this has been the most transparent government -- most transparent administration that we have seen in a very, very long time, perhaps in the modern era. (Applause.) And here's the reason. Let me just list off the things we've done. This is the first White House ever where 14:53:23 you know every single person who visits the White House. Now, that seems like a small thing, but that means any lobbyist, any company, anybody who comes to visit the White House, you know who it is. The recovery act that I just talked about, we put every dollar of spending in the recovery act on a website. You can go and look up right now every dollar that's been spent in the recovery act. You know where it's been spent, who got contracts, how it's been spent. That's all there, plain as day, for everybody to see. So we've put more information online. We declassified things that used to be classified. We revamped the classification system, so it's not used for us to just hide things that might be embarrassing to us. We 14:54:05 posted salaries for everybody in the White House all on a website. Which -- as you might imagine, when it comes up, everybody's looking in the White House -- "Hmm." (Laughter.) Now, but seriously we very much believe in transparency and accountability. Now, when it came to the health-care debate, think about all the hours of congressional hearings, all the meetings that were on C-SPAN. I mean, they were constant. It took a year, remember? I did town-hall meetings all across the country, in August, talking just about health care. So when people say, well, the negotiations weren't on C-SPAN, what they're frustrated about, and I take responsibility for this, is that after Congress had finally gone through its processes -- the House had voted on a bill; the Senate had voted on a bill -- it is true that I then met with the leaders and chairmen of the House and the Senate to see what differences needed to be resolved, in order to get a final package 14:55:18 done. And that wasn't on C-SPAN. And look, you know, I made that commitment. And I probably should have put it on C-SPAN, although one of the tricky things is trying to figure out, well, if it is on C-SPAN, are people actually going to be saying what they think about trying to get the bill done? Or is everybody going to be posturing, to say things that sound good for the camera? Having -- but I think it is a legitimate criticism to say, if you say that all of it's going to be on C-SPAN, all of it's going to be on C-SPAN, which is why at this point, it's important for me to say that when the Republicans put forward their proposals, for what they want to do on health care, and we put forward what we want to do on health care, I very much want that on C-SPAN and I want everybody here to watch. (Applause.) I want everybody here to watch. Because I think -- I think it will be a good educational process, you know, for -- for people to weigh the arguments about the relative merits of the bill instead of listening to millions of dollars' worth of insurance- industry ads that have been put out there, or whatever pundit on the left or the right is saying about these different issues. So we're going to keep on doing it. Have we gotten it perfect? No. Have we done better than any 14:56:48 administration in recent memory? Absolutely. And we'll keep on trying to improve on that. All right? Good. (Applause.) It's a gentleman's turn. Gentleman there in the back, in the tie. You got all spruced up for the meeting; I want to make sure I call on you. Q My name is Dick Swett. I live in Bow, New Hampshire. (Cheers, applause.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hey, Dick, you got a big fan club here! Q I used to occupy the seat that Paul Hodes holds now, and he's doing a great job for the -- PRESIDENT OBAMA: He's a -- he's a good guy. 14:57:11 Q He is. (Applause.) First of all, thank you for coming to New Hampshire. We are very pleased and proud that you're here. And we are grateful for the opportunity to talk. Now, in your discussions you have said that you're ready to listen to anybody with a good idea. Well, I'd like to go out on a limb and say I think I've got a good idea. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good. Q I'd like to share it with you. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Please do. Q When we talk about energy issues in this country, we are talking about jobs, we're talking about dependence on international oil, some coming from difficult places that are feeding terrorist organizations that are causing harm to our citizens. We're talking about a problem of keeping our money here at home as opposed to sending it overseas when we purchase that foreign oil. I think what we can do is, we need to put all of these issues together in one basket and first set a date by which time we can be independent enough of foreign oil -- I can't say that we could be completely independent, and I think you understand the reasons why -- but if we can invest in technology here at home to develop clean technology, place that technology in developing countries, not only just where they can have energy and electricity to be productive with, but establish with that a -- an -- a economic system where they have jobs and they are opening up new markets that we can sell our products into and that we can build our relationships with their leaders through, and at home, if we can focus on making ourselves more energy efficient. Because we are a very inefficient country when it comes to use of energy, just like all of the industrialized countries. These two things, I think, done first, can help us to avoid having to do cap and trade and other aspects with environmental controls that are going to have negative impacts on our economy. We need to make productive use of our technology and our people so that we can clean up the economy, put people to work, and then, if that isn't sufficient enough, we then go to the kinds of -- the kinds of programs that have been talked about at the Copenhagen summit. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well -- (applause) -- let me respond by talking more broadly about energy. First of all, those are such good ideas, I've already adopted them, although I didn't know they came from you. (Laughter.) The -- number one, we have to invest in innovation and new technologies. There's no doubt about it. And by the way, we've got to upgrade some old technologies. I know it's controversial in some quarters, but if you're serious about dealing with climate change, then you've got to take a serious look at the nuclear industry. If you are serious about climate change, you've got to figure out, is there technology that 15:00:05 can allow us sequester coal and the emissions that are sent out? The reason for that is not just for the United States. China's building a coal-fired plant once a week, just about. India's doing the same, because coal is cheap. And unless we can come up with some energy alternatives that allow us to franchise that technology so that they are equipped to burn that coal cleanly, we're going to have problems no matter what we do in this country when it comes to the environment. Okay? So technology's key -- key. And by the way, we can make significant profits and create huge jobs just upgrading traditional technologies. 15:01:01 Then, you've got the whole clean-energy sector, which is ready to take off if we provide the kind of seed capital, the kind of R&D credits that are necessary. This -- this past recession almost killed a lot of our homegrown clean-energy sectors. And the industry will tell you. You talk to the wind industry or the solar industry. If we hadn't passed the recovery act and all of the support for clean energy, a lot of them would have completely gone under, and we would have been seeding leadership -- as we already have, unfortunately -- to a lot of countries like Spain and Germany and Japan that are doing a lot more work on it. So this is a huge engine for job 15:10:17 creation, and we've got to make those investments. Third thing you said: energy efficiency. We are one of the least-efficient advanced economies when it comes to energy usage. And it's estimated that we could probably lop off 30 percent of our energy consumption just on efficiency, without changing our lifestyles significantly. I say significantly because you'd have to start buying LED batteries -- or -- or LED light bulbs. But it's still a light bulb. You don't have to sit in the dark. You don't have to use gas lanterns. You just have to make the investment. And one of the things that a company like ARC Energy is doing is trying to bring down the unit cost for each of those light bulbs. A school building like this -- guarantee you that we could make this school probably 10, 15, 20 percent more energy efficient. But the problem is, school budgets a lot of times don't have the money to put the capital up front to make it more energy efficient. So there are ways we can help universities and schools and other institutions -- more efficient. We could retrofit every building in this country that was built, you know, over the last 50 years, and get huge increases in energy, huge decreases in greenhouse-gas emissions. But it requires some seed money. It requires some work. And that's why part of our jobs package is actually -- it's a very simple concept: Hire people to weatherize homes, that will save those homeowners heating bills or cooling bills and, at the same time, put people back to work and train them in things like insulation and -- and -- and heating systems. So there -- there's a lot of opportunity there. Now, here's the only thing I would say. The most controversial aspects of the energy debate that we've been having -- the House passed an energy bill and people complained about, well, there's this cap-and-trade thing. And you just mentioned, you know, let's do the fun stuff before we do the hard stuff. The only thing I would say about it is this. We may be able to separate these things out, and it's conceivable that that's where the Senate ends up. But the concept of incentivizing clean energy so that it's the cheaper, more effective kind of energy, is one that is proven to work and is actually a market-based approach. It -- a lot of times, people just respond to incentives. And no matter how good the technology is, the fact of the matter is, if you're not factoring in the soot that's being put in the atmosphere, coal's going to be cheaper for a very long time. For the average industry, the average company, we can make huge progress on solar. We can make huge progress on wind. But the unit costs, energy costs, that you get from those technologies relative to coal are still going to be pretty substantial. They're going to get better, but it might take 20, 30, 40 years of technology to get better. And so the 15:05:11 question then is, are we -- does it make sense for us to start pricing in the fact that this thing's really bad for the environment? And if we do, then can we do it in a way that doesn't involve some big bureaucracy in a control-and-command system but just says, look, we're just going to -- there's going to be a price to pollution. And then everybody can adapt and decide which are the -- which are the best energies. And that's -- by the way, remember acid rain? That's how that got solved, was -- basically what happened: The Clean Air Act slapped a price on sulfur emissions. And what ended up happening was, all these companies -- who were saying, this is going to be a jobs killer, et cetera -- they figured it out. They figured it out a lot cheaper than anybody expected. And it turns out now that our trees are okay up here in New Hampshire. That's a good thing. So we should take a lesson from the past and not be afraid of the future. (Applause.) Oh, this is a signal that I only have time for a few more questions. Okay, I'm going to try to take two more. It is a -- it is a young lady's turn. Well, wait, I shouldn't be biased against the folks back here. There you go. Q Hi. I'm Judy Loftus. I teach at Nashua South High School. (Cheers, applause.) I teach in the careers and education program. And that's a career and technical program that prepares students for lives working to work with children, to make a difference, from pre- school up to elementary age. I have a couple questions. First of all, what are you going to do about No Child Left Behind? We've had a lot of legacies from the last 15:06:47 administration. And as an educator, I've seen the impact of that in my school. And it hasn't been a positive impact. We're focused more on testing and worrying about test scores than what's right for kids. (Applause.) And the second is, what are you going to do help my students who want to be teachers, who want to 15:07:22 make a difference in this world, be able to afford a college education and not be saddled with so much debt that they're working, as many teachers in Nashua are, two jobs to make ends meet, to pay their student loans? (Applause.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good. It's a good question. (Cheers, applause.) (Chuckles.) The short-term proposals that I've put forward are designed to accelerate job growth; that inspire a company that's right on the brink of hiring, but it's still kind of uncertain. Should I make that investment? Should I bring in somebody out of the workforce? Well, maybe if I get a $5,000 credit, or maybe if I can 15:08:13 get a loan from SBA, I'm going to go ahead and take the plunge. So we're -- we're trying to induce hiring to start a little quicker than it's been -- than it's taken place so far. But long term, the question you ask is THE most vital one for how our economy performs. Look, this is a very straightforward proposition here. Countries that have a highly skilled workforce, that 15:08:51 innovate, that excel in science and technology are going dominate the future. And countries that don't are going to see over time their standard of living decline. It's -- it's pretty straightforward. If we're the country that's innovating and creating new products and -- and at the -- at the -- the high end of the product chain, then everybody here is going to have enormous opportunity. And if we're not, we don't. So what does that mean? On the education front, our elementary schools, our secondary schools have been slipping. We used to have the best. Now we have pockets of the best, and then we have mediocrity, and then we have some schools that are just terrible. We've got to make sure every child is getting a good, solid education. And what that means is -- (applause) -- it means we continue to invest in early childhood education, which my budget does. It means -- so that our kids are prepared when they start school. It means that we help schools with just their basic budgets, and as I said, the recovery act prevented a lot of layoffs and really patched holes in a lot of school budgets. It's not sexy, it doesn't get a lot of credit, but it made a huge difference. We've got to make sure, though, also that the single most important factor in a(n) elementary and secondary school education is fulfilled, and that is, we've got excellent teachers in the classroom, who are getting paid a good salary and are getting the support that they need. (Applause.) Now -- now, traditionally what's happened is the debate between the left and the right has said, well -- the left just says, "We just need more money in the schools and everything will be okay." You know, for new equipment, new computers, smaller class sizes. You know, that's been the argument on the liberal side. The conservative side said, "The whole problem is bureaucracy, teachers' unions; you got to blow up the system." What my administration believes is, it's not an either/or proposition; it's both/and. We need more money, but we need to spend the money wisely, and we need to institute reforms that raise standards and push everybody in a school -- principal, teacher, student, parent -- to pursue excellence. So, last year what we did is we started with something called Race to the Top. And it's a pretty simple proposition. We carved out a little bit of money that doesn't just go to general revenue, Title 1 -- you know, all the general federal support for schools -- and we said this money, this Race to the Top money, you get it only if you're working to make for excellent teachers, you're collecting good data to make sure that your students are actually making progress in the schools, you're dealing with the lowest-performing schools in your school district. You've got ideas that are showing concrete results -- in improvement, not in absolute test scores, but in the progress that that school is making -- we're going to fund those improvements. And we've already seen reforms across 48 states just because we incentivized reform. That's a good thing. This year is when reauthorization for what's called No Child Behind (sic) would be coming up, as part of the broader education legislation that's up for reauthorization. And what we're saying there is, on the one hand, we don't want teachers just teaching to the test; on the other hand, we also want to keep high standards for our kids. And I think the best way to do that is to combine high standards, measurable outcomes, but have an assessment system that you work with teachers on, so that it's not just a matter of who's filling out a bubble; and you're also taking into account where the kids start, because not every kid's going to start at the same place -- (applause) -- so you want to see where do they end up at the end of the year. (Applause.) So I just -- I just had a meeting with my team this -- this week about this, trying to find ways that we could improve the assessment system so we're still holding schools accountable, we'll -- we're still holding teachers accountable, but we're not just holding them accountable for a score on a standardized test, but we have a -- a -- a richer way of assessing whether these schools are making progress. All right? So that's the answer of the No Child Left Behind. On the college front, here's the deal. We've already increased Pell grants, and we want to increase them 15:13:53 again. We've already increased -- (applause) -- both the size of each grant that's permissible, but also the number of grants available, so more students can get to them. The next step -- and this is legislation that's pending that we are strongly supportive of, and I think our entire congressional delegation from New Hampshire is strongly supportive of -- what it would do is it would say to every student all across America -- and this is especially important for somebody who wants to go into teaching, not a high-salary profession -- that you will never have to pay more than 10 percent of your income on student loans. And -- (applause) -- and to every student, we would say that after 20 years, your debt would be forgiven, as long as you were making payments commensurate with your income. But if you went into public service, we would forgive those student loans after 10 years. (Applause.) And teaching, obviously, is one of our most important public services. (Applause.) So we think this is a fair deal, because what it -- what it says is you won't go bankrupt if you decide to go 15:15:13 to college. But what it also says is you can make the choice for the lower salary but greater fulfillment, greater satisfaction pursuing your passion -- you can do that, and it's not going to be cost prohibitive. Now, you may ask, how are we going to pay for it? Remember, we were -- we said we're going to pay for everything from here on out, pay as you go. PAYGO. Right? So here's how we're going to do it. It turns out that right now a lot of the student loan programs are still run through financial institutions and banks. So you got this middleman, and they get billions of dollars per year managing loans that are guaranteed by the federal government. So think about this. You, the taxpayers, are guaranteeing that this is going to be paid back. These institutions are essentially taking no risks. And yet they're still extracting these huge profits. And what we've said is, look, cut out the middleman. You take that -- those billions of dollars, give it 15:16:24 directly to the students. With the money that we save, we can make sure that nobody goes bankrupt because they're going to college. Because we need every single person to go to college. (Applause.) We think it's a good idea. We're going to make it happen. All right? All right. I've only got -- all right, I got one last question. Oh -- and -- and it's a guy's turn. It's a guy's turn. All right, this gentleman over here. We figured -- are you a student? Oh, you look like a student. That's why I called on you. (Laughter.) You got a baby face. Q (Off mike.) It's my young face. Thank you, Mr. President. My name is Ronnie Camille (sp). I live in Nashua, New Hampshire. Three weeks ago, as you know, there was a(n) earthquake in Haiti. I (travel/traveled ?) to Haiti to visit my family. And I know times are tough for the American people, and -- as president, what will you do to ensure that Haiti will be continued -- will receive help? Because many people down there have yet to receive help. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, I appreciate that you went down. (Applause.) I appreciate what the students did here at Nashua North. There's been an outpouring of incredible generosity in response to this earthquake, and it's a testament to the American people. Our military and our government has responded, I believe, in exemplary fashion. I mean, we -- we got Marines and aid workers and helicopters and food and, you know, clean water facilities -- we got those down in record time. The devastation and the fact that Haiti already had such poor infrastructure to begin with makes it that much harder. So yes, there are still a lot of people there who are going through enormous hardship. But America should be proud of what we've done so far. (Applause.) We really should. Now, part of the point you're making, though, is, you know, the headlines start to drift in another direction, 15:18:35 right? So it was 24/7 Haiti for about a week, and then the media decided it was time to move onto something else, so now you're not hearing about it as much. And what can happen is that everybody's memories of the devastation start fading away, and then pretty soon people are asking, why are we giving money to Haiti? So what we have to do is to build a strong consensus around a long-term recovery plan for Haiti that is not just shouldered by the United States but the entire international community. I'm going to be working with -- (applause) -- I'm going to be working with countries like France and Brazil and Canada, the European Union, Japan, China. We want to get countries that have capacity and resources to come together, with the United Nations, with the Haitian government, to determine how can we see if, out of this incredible tragedy, we can start actually rebuilding in a way that makes life even better for people over the long term than it was before the earthquake. And that's going to require improving our schools. That -- that's going to require improving the infrastructure in Haiti. That's going to require providing the ability of -- of Haitians to sell their products, like textiles, into -- into advanced countries in an advantageous situation so that they can start rebuilding their commerce and their industry. It's in our interest to do so, though. I -- I want everybody to do it. We do it because it's right, but we also do it because, when the United States sends the USS Vinson to Haiti to allow a bunch of helicopters to unload food, and Marines are helping, and -- and we've got a hospital that's set up, that sends a message of American power that is so important, because too often what other countries think of when they think of the United States and our military is just war. But when they see us devoting these resources and the incredible capacity that we have, to help people 15:21:07 in desperate need, that message ripples across the world. And it means that when you've got a guy like bin Laden out there -- screaming, blow up America -- you know, it's a lot harder for that seed to take root, when people have been seeing images of America making sure that people in desperate need are helped. So it's part of our national security. It's the smart thing to do. (Applause.) It's great to see you, Nashua. I love you guys. Thank you. Appreciate it. (Cheers, applause.) END. WH TRAVEL - President Obama Air Force One travel to New Hampshire for townhall meeting, tours a local business + CUTS of townhall meeting. DEPARTURE AAFB 15:36:24: LS Marine One taxis behind AF1 undercarriage. 15:37:31: Marine One comes to halt behind Air Force officials saluting. 15:37:58: Crew chief opens helicopter doors. 15:38:34: President exits Marine One, walks with Air Force official to AF1. 15:39:04: MS President salutes, ascends stairs into AF1, waves. NEW HAMPSHIRE ARRIVAL 15:41:24: New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and unknown officials waiting for arrival. 15:41:34: FS President exits AF1 with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, shakes hands with local officials 15:42:49: Motorcade cam along New Hampshire roads. LOCAL BUSINESS - "ARC ENERGY" 15:43:12: Local workers show president machinery 15:44:17: President observes material as employee explains process. 15:45:22: CU on president's hands as he holds a piece of material. 15:46:46: President is looking at television display. 15:49:26: CU president's hands looking through charts, zoom out to employees explaining 15:50:29: MS Employees using good hand signals while talking to president. 15:53:16: FS President with rows of machinery behind him, pan to machinery and back.