Washington (CNN) Debra Katz, the lawyer for a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, said Monday that her client would be willing to testify in public to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"The answer is yes," Katz, who represents Christine Blasey Ford, said on CNN's "New Day."

Ford's willingness to testify before Congress marks both a major development from a woman previously reluctant to face the brunt of public scrutiny and a significant pressure point on Kavanaugh's nomination, which could decide the balance of the nation's top court for a generation.

Ford is the author of a private letter sent to California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein alleging that during a party in their high school years, Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom, tried to remove her clothes and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Kavanaugh said in a statement that he "unequivocally" denies the allegation.

After her allegations surfaced over the past week, Ford opted to come forward publicly in an article The Washington Post published Sunday.

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