U.S. Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander said they support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh following a marathon hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

“I believe those who come forward with allegations of sexual assault deserve to be heard," Corker said in an emailed statement Thursday.

The Chattanooga Republican is a key vote in the confirmation process. Last week, he joined fellow Senate Republicans in expressing hesitation about moving forward with confirmation proceedings for Kavanaugh.

“I know it took courage for Dr. (Christine Blasey) Ford to appear before the committee today," Corker said in the statement. “I also very strongly believe that Judge Kavanaugh, like all Americans, deserves the presumption of innocence and that it was equally as important for him to have the opportunity to address the charges and defend himself."

Alexander also released a statement Thursday saying he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh, and spoke to reporters Friday afternoon at the groundbreaking for a new federal courthouse in Nashville.

When asked whether he supported an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, Alexander said he didn't believe it was necessary.

"I'm ready to vote for Judge Kavanaugh based upon his 26 years of extraordinary service," Alexander said.

In response to whether he would view the Kavanaugh proceedings differently if it were his daughter testifying, Alexander said he thought Ford was respected during the Thursday hearing but that Kavanaugh was not respected by Democrats on the committee.

"I want my daughters respected, but I want my sons respected as well," Alexander said.

“Judge Kavanaugh denies under oath Dr. Ford’s account of an alleged incident 36 years ago," Alexander's statement read. "The FBI has conducted six background investigations of Judge Kavanaugh since that alleged incident and found no such conduct. Every person Dr. Ford alleges was present at the incident says under penalty of a felony it didn’t happen.

“Senate Democrats have treated Judge Kavanaugh as innocent until nominated," Alexander said. "They have victimized Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford and their families. They have diminished the United States Senate by their embarrassing irresponsibility.”

Assault allegations

The confirmation process has included allegations that Kavanaugh committed sexual assault at least once, according to the testimony of Ford before the Senate Thursday. Kavanaugh denied the allegations.

The daylong hearing Thursday included testimony from both Ford and Kavanaugh.

In her testimony, Ford never wavered from her conviction that she is "100 percent” certain that Kavanaugh attacked her. She was the first, but not only, woman to come forward in recent weeks with similar allegations.

"But I have never done this to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said Thursday. "That’s not who I am. It is not who I was. I am innocent of this charge.”

Kavanaugh's testimony was at times emotional, as he detailed the way he feels his name has been "permanently destroyed" by the allegations.

Corker: He's still qualified

“There is no question that Judge Kavanaugh is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and in a different political environment, he would be confirmed overwhelmingly," Corker said. “I believe Judge Kavanaugh has conducted himself as well as anyone could expect throughout this process and plan to vote to confirm him.”





The Senate panel voted 11-10 along party lines Friday to advance the nomination to the full Senate. But Senate Republicans then delayed a vote for up to a week until the FBI can conduct an investigation.

Nomination and Tennessee's US Senate campaign

The Kavanaugh nomination has become an issue in Tennessee's U.S. Senate campaign. Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen are vying to succeed the retiring Corker in the Nov. 6 general election.

Blackburn has slammed Bredesen for not saying how he would vote if he were in the Senate. Blackburn has said she supports the nomination and would vote to confirm the judge.

On Thursday, Blackburn released a statement saying Bredesen has "stayed neutral as long as he can."

With the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over, Blackburn said that Bredesen has "no other reason to stall."

"I have been clear from the start: I will always vote to confirm judges who uphold the Constitution," Blackburn said in her statement.

On Friday afternoon, Bredesen released a statement saying the "confirmation process has been abused by both parties."

He said some "voices of sanity" have surfaced and that he supports an FBI background investigation. But Bredesen still did not say how he would vote on the nomination.

"I cannot understand why any Senator, or Judge Kavanaugh himself, would not want the FBI to research these allegations. If they are unfounded, as the Judge claims, the FBI can erase a permanent stain on his appointment and on him personally," Bredesen said.

"If the allegations have substance, any Senator of either party should want to take them into consideration before deciding on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. I would feel exactly the same if it were a Democratic appointment under consideration."

Reach Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.