Ford-Kavanaugh Hearings

The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court was again before the Senate Judiciary Committee as senators heard testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. She has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were both in high school in 1982.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Ford-Kavanaugh Hearings

Links

“Kavanaugh confirmation hits major snag after Flake seeks FBI probe”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/28/flake-will-vote-to-confirm-kavanaugh-to-the-supreme-court-851291

“White House spokesman: Can’t say ‘for certain’ that we have the votes for Kavanaugh”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/28/white-house-uncertain-kavanaugh-votes-850400

“Brett Kavanaugh Nomination Moves Ahead Despite Sexual Assault Allegations”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/brett-kavanaugh-senate-judiciary-committee-vote_us_5bae2526e4b09d41eba0c3f7

“Prosecutor who questioned Christine Ford says she wouldn’t prosecute Brett Kavanaugh”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/28/rachel-mitchell-says-she-wouldnt-prosecute-scots-nominee-kavanaugh/1453587002/

“Flake throws curveball as GOP pushes to confirm Kavanaugh: live updates”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kavanaugh-vote-republicans-push-to-confirm-supreme-court-nominee-live-updates/

“A painful hearing lays bare nation’s political flaws”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/politics/kavanaugh-blasey-ford-hearing/index.html

“Brett Kavanaugh is terrified”
https://www.vox.com/2018/9/28/17912378/brett-kavanaugh-hearing-vote-sexual-assault-allegations

“Brett Kavanaugh Offers Fiery Defense In Hearing That Was A National Cultural Moment”
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/28/652239571/brett-kavanaugh-offers-fiery-defense-in-hearing-that-was-a-national-cultural-mom

“Rachel Mitchell’s disappearing act confirms GOP blunder”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/27/gop-senators-outside-ford-questioner-mistake-849246

“Bill Bennett: Kavanaugh hearing shows Democrats will stop at nothing to keep him off the Supreme Court”
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/09/28/bill-bennett-kavanaugh-hearing-shows-democrats-will-stop-at-nothing-to-keep-him-off-supreme-court.html

Assessment

Writing: Describe the process the Senate followed in its hearings with Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.
Debate: The U.S. Senate did not properly handle the allegation of Dr. Ford against Judge Kavanaugh.
Poll: How many of you believe Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the US Supreme Court?
Short Answer: What are some of the reasons Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are angry at their Democratic colleagues? Why are Democrats angry at Republicans?

Current events quiz:

1) Brett Kavanaugh was questioned by this Senator on whether or not Kavanaugh thinks the Democratic Party is using Dr. Ford as a political operative to stop the GOP from gaining another seat in the Supreme Court.

a. Amy Klobuchar
b. Orrin Hatch
c. Cory Booker
d. Lisa Murkowski

2) Whom did Republicans bring in as a prosecutor questioning Dr. Ford, hoping that it would decrease the impression that Republicans were “ganging up” on Dr. Ford?

Rachel Mitchell
Nancy Pelosi
Joe Manchin
Amy Klobuchar

3) The White House deputy press secretary made a statement on Friday that

they are certain that, with Jeff Flake’s vote, they will have enough votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh.
they are uncertain if they have enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh, especially since the hearings on Thursday did not go so well for the GOP.
they are certain that they have enough votes, since the hearings on Thursday went so well for the GOP.
they are uncertain they have enough votes, although think Thursday’s hearings helped the GOP in getting enough votes to secure Kavanaugh’s nomination.

4) Senators who do not support Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation into the United States Supreme Court are Jeff Flake, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, and Lindsey Graham. (T/F)

5) Senator Flake said that he would not vote for Brett Kavanaugh regardless of whether or not an FBI investigation were to take place over the next week, in a moment that was shocking to much of the nation since Flake has been so vehemently against President Trump. (T/F)

6) Kavanaugh admitted that he did in fact consume alcohol in high school, but never enough that he forgot what had happened, or portions of what had happened the night before. (T/F)