Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHarris faces pivotal moment with Supreme Court battle Nearly 40 Democratic senators call for climate change questions in debates Joe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late MORE (D-Calif.) on Tuesday morning said she believes the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault is telling the truth.

"I believe her," Harris said on CBS's "This Morning."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Listen, first of all, anybody who comes forward at this point to be prepared to testify in the United States Senate against someone who’s being nominated to one of the most powerful positions in the United States government, that takes an extraordinary amount of courage," Harris said.

“I believe her... anybody who comes forward at this point to be prepared to testify in the U.S. Senate against someone who's being nominated to one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government, that takes an extraordinary amount of courage.” -- Sen. @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/2Zqp23S3UT — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 18, 2018

"She knows this," she added, referring to Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. "She is putting herself out there knowing that they’re going to try to excoriate her. And she’s doing it, I believe, because she knows that this is an important matter, it’s a serious matter who serves on that court, and she has the courage to come forward."

"She has nothing to gain," Harris, who sits in the Senate Judiciary Committee, said.

“The American public deserves to know the character of someone who will serve for his entire life on the highest court in our country.” -- Sen. @KamalaHarris on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/cMzbuCCQ5Z — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 18, 2018

Ford is alleging that Kavanaugh held her down and groped her during a high school party in the 1980s. She is set to testify next week, as is Kavanaugh, who has denied the claim.

Democrats, including Harris, have been escalating calls for the FBI to investigate Ford's allegations.

"I want to know about this guy’s background," Harris said on CBS. "And the American public wants to know about his background. We need to know — are we about to put somebody on the United States Supreme Court who committed a sexual assault?"

"I think the issue is that the FBI needs to do a background check on this particular issue and provide it to the U.S. Senate," she added.

The FBI has done six background checks into Kavanaugh's history, but Democrats are calling for an investigation into these specific allegations.