Bill Glauber

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said the White House should reopen a background investigation into U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh but stopped short of calling for a delay in the Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearing.

Baldwin made her remarks Monday in Milwaukee during an event to promote early voting for the Nov. 6 election.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school in suburban Maryland. Ford has agreed to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has called for the confirmation to be postponed after a second allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh emerged Sunday.

Kavanaugh has denied all the allegations.

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Baldwin said she found Ford's allegations "to be serious, to be credible. And the normal way of dealing with things with presidential nominees would be to reopen the background investigation. Background investigations are done routinely for every nominee, it's part of the vetting process. It is also shared with the White House as well as the Senate for its advise and consent role."

Baldwin said she still did not understand "why the White House has refused to reopen the background investigation. But now that there are more allegations — I certainly don't know the details of the additional allegations — it seems like the call should be stronger to reopen that."

Baldwin opposes Kavanaugh's nomination.

Baldwin's Republican challenger, Leah Vukmir, has supported Kavanaugh and issued a statement Monday in reaction to Baldwin's remarks.

"On the heels of Senator Baldwin not having the time to meet with Judge Kavanaugh, yet having time for a fundraiser with Dr. Ford’s lawyers, we now have additional uncorroborated attacks on Judge Kavanaugh being irresponsibly published by the Fake News media," Vukmir's statement said.

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"Democrats need to stop the political posturing, and hold a vote this week on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination."

On Sunday, Vukmir said she was "glad that Dr. Ford has been offered an opportunity to speak and I think that it's important that both she and Judge Kavanaugh have an opportunity to say exactly what happened."

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has backed Kavanaugh's nomination but said the Senate should hear from Ford.