process. i say to all of my colleagues, for this process to be a process, we have to have open minds. we must listen. we must do our best, seek the truth in good faith. that is our only duty. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. >> mr. president, i come to the floor today to join my colleagues in lifting a the voices of women across the country who right now are being ignored, swept aside and attacked. and calling him a republican colleagues to join us and do everything we can to make sure womend are assured, listen to ad respect that as we debate and deliberate over judge kavanaugh's nomination to the supreme court. mr. president, recently i was at home in washington today to talk to my constituents about the

supreme court nomination and i met a woman named caitlyn who bravely told me and others about her experiences being actually assaulted. she shared her story. it was july 2016. she had gone to a concert that evening andss she was sexually assaulted that night. but it was how she explained what happened after that i want to share today. she said, and i quote, as they sexual assault survivor, i know firsthand that these experiences have a lasting impact in the pain can't be overstated. in the aftermath of violence, it common to feel humiliated and blame ourselves, to just want to forget it ever happened. i didn't want to admit that i had allowed this to happen to me, so i tried to convince myself that the attack had never occurred.

for these reasons and so many others come it is common to wait months or years before confiding in anyone of even those closest to us. those s were caitlyn's words to me. but she went on, she said and i quote, going public with our story opens us up to criticism ranging from victim blaming to accusations that were liars and attention seekers in addition to far uglier and old that i won't repeat right now. i know that coming forward and forever tarring our names m to e of the most terrifying, degrading experience is of exp r lives isn't a decision to be taken lightly, unquote. mr. president, sadly cheap and is not alone. far from it. she shared her story with me so that her story can help others, so that i can lift it up, make sure it is being heard and help

her make a difference. mr. president, this brings me to the question i want to ask you today. what is this really about right now in this moment here in the united states senate? there's a lot of confusion, a lot of my being kicked up in a lot of distractions. but what is this moment right now really about? not the question of this confirmation, though that is clearly important. now whether or not we think judge kavanaugh would make a good supreme court justice or whether we can trust him despite the lies we've heard issue after issue. those are of course critical questions, too. and not even whether or not my colleagues will believe the allegations brought against them are true once all the evidence is weighed and all investigations are complete. so of course for many of us, that question must be dug into.

mr. president, to me and millions of people across the country, this moment right now is about the hands are too a few simple questions. is this senate a place where women are listened to, heard and respected, or is it just still one more place where women's voices are set under the rug, where our voices are ignored, and attacked and undermined. right now in this moment while the president of the united states that a woman can't be trusted because she was drunk when he was tweeting dr. ford can't be trusted because if it were asrt it were as really as d as she said she would've reported she was 15. werere they were desperately

trying to distract people by pointing to the process and the timing, anything but the substance. while they hire a woman they are calling their, quote, female assistant, the lawyer they found to us after four they can't trust the republican men on the judiciary committee to ask. while they are already sweeping pass this hearing and scrambling to line up the committee vote right away, while they are planning to stay through the weekend to rush to a vote on the senate floor, but their leaders saidde his confident they will win, before dr. ford has even had a chance to be heard in a vote that doesn't need to be rushed for any good reason. mr. president, right now in this moment, here in the united states and the common these are the questions. will women be heard or will women be ignored?

will women bravely come forward to share the most horrific acts as of their life to be trusted or world to be treated by liars. what women like that are ford be respected, listen to, heard or will they be pushed aside, told to remain quiet? right now in this moment in the united states senate, what kind of message will we send to women and girls across the country who . e watching right now, who are looking to see how doc are ford is being treated, whether or not ms. ramirez who is reportedly willing to testify to the committee under oath, whether her story will be taking seriously or even be investigated and are grappling with one of the toughest decisions of their lives should

they report a sexual assault. should they try to bring the perpetrator to justice to make sure he faces the sea deserves or should they keep it to themselves i'm a worried about the ways they may be attacked or ignored or disbelieved, interrogated about what they drink or where or when. right now in this moment in the united states senate, what kind of message will lease send two men and boys across the country whoig are watching right now, wo will see whether women are empowered to share their ex. common man facing the consequences of their action in a message says that this isbl nt acceptable behavior in high school, and college or anywhere else or who will once again hear that women can be attacked and

beaten -- mr. president, i ran for united is that after he saw senators get those questions wrong and the immediate hearings in 1991. i ran to be a voice for the women and men across the country and it was absolutely wrong for her to be ignored and attacked, sweat deciding disbelieved. i ran for right here this moment in the united states senate to make sure we never allow that to happen again. for my daughter who sat by my side as they watched that all-male judiciary committee grilled anita hill. for her daughters for my granddaughters who were not quite old enough toqu wonders ad what will happen on thursday, but who will grow up in a world hethat will treat them better or worse depending how women are

treated this week. for caitlyn and the women like her who shared their stories with me, some out loud in front of crowds spirits him and whispered voices after everyone else left. and for the women we don't know whon has varied their experiencs deep down inside, who have kept their secret for decades because they have been too scared or intimidated to come forward and who are watching right now to see what happens here, right now in this moment in the united states senate. i am proud to bring their voices to the floor today and i am truly hopeful that enough republicans stand with them and that we can do the right thing. republican leaders need to listen, truly listening to theo women coming over to share their experience is. republican leaders need to invest to date, truly

investigate the allegation making and the inconsistencies in judge kavanaugh statement on so many issues. republican leaders need to end this scramble and rush. they need to slow it down and do this right. women and men are watching. they are paying attention and they are not going to forget. >> mr. president, i rise to speak about judge kavanaugh's nomination to the supreme court. and i urge myea colleagues to actually listen to dr. blasey ford intrigued her with the respect she deserves. she deserves better than to set up she is walking in to tomorrow. i want to take a step back for a second and look at the big picture of what is actually going on with this nomination. we