“I support Dr. Blasey Ford’s request for an FBI background investigation before a hearing,” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Tuesday on Twitter. “She should not be bullied into participating in a biased process and we should not rush forward before facts are gathered.”

Blasey has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were both in high school in the 1980s. Since coming forward with her allegations, her attorney said in the email Thursday, “she has been receiving death threats, which have been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and she and her family have been forced out of their home.”

The prospect of rehashing her alleged sexual assault on a public stage is also complicated by the fact that every Republican senator on the committee is male, and lawmakers are known to employ aggressive questioning during hearings. For that reason, HuffPost learned Tuesday that Republicans on the committee were considering having their female aides or lawyers question Blasey and Kavanaugh should she testify about her allegation.

Committee Republicans reportedly decided earlier on Thursday to hire an outside counsel to lead their questioning of Blasey during a hearing, The New York Times reported. They have yet to hire someone to fill the role, a Republican Senate official familiar with the decision told the Times.