*By Christian Smith*
In 1991, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) was among the seven female Democratic congresswomen who convinced Senate Democrats to allow Anita Hill to testify about her sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
And now, given Prof. Christine Blasey Ford's searing testimony on Thursday, Lowey thinks Brett Kavanaugh should not be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
"You have to look at the whole person, and from what I hear from Dr. Ford, I would not want to see Judge Kavanaugh on the highest court of the land," she said.
To Lowey, the Court is sacred ー and its justices should follow suit in their personal conduct, not just in their careers.
"We know that an appointment to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, is more than intelligence and an Ivy League school. His credibility, and his character, has to be evaluated," she said.
In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, Ford answered questions for over three hours about her claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school ー accusations that Lowey said seem credible.
"She seemed, certainly to me, to present an honest, honest perspective," Lowey said.
Her convictions about Ford aside, Lowey noted that the accusations against Kavanaugh should still be investigated thoroughly by the proper authorities.
"We should take our time, and he should be subject to an FBI investigation," Rep. Lowey said. She acknowledged, though, that Kavanaugh should still get a confirmation vote.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/congresswoman-nita-lowey-d-ny-calls-on-senate-to-allow-fbi-investigation-of-kavanaugh-accusers-claims).
Stocks turned lower Friday on Wall Street after New York became the latest major state to mandate nearly all workers stay home to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.
Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is under intense scrutiny after an NPR report showed that he revealed the severity of the impending coronavirus crisis to a group of North Carolinians in private and warned of major life disruptions weeks before the federal government did the same. And, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to wreak havoc on supply chains, hospitals and markets, new financial disclosures show that Burr made big money moves before the indices showed the historic declines seen in recent weeks.
More than 60 percent of Americans also think a recession will come in the next year, according to a new study by YouGov.
Trump’s coronavirus task force on Thursday afternoon visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency to hear from several governors about the challenges facing their states.
In the morning conference, the governor also waived mortgage payments for 90 days and revealed the spike in new cases bringing the full total to 4,152, the most in the nation.
The drug, hydroxychloroquine, was developed more than a half-century ago and is approved for treating malaria, arthritis, and other ailments. Reports out of China and Italy suggest the drug may help, but there is no hard data yet.
Coronavirus has hit Capitol Hill, as the first members of Congress have tested positive for the virus. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) announced diagnoses late Wednesday.
The palace of Monaco says its head of state, Prince Albert II, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a statement Thursday, the palace of the tiny Mediterranean principality said that his health is not worrying.
GM and Tesla are among the top U.S. automakers that are looking to potentially switch over stalled auto production into the manufacturing of badly needed medical ventilators amid the coronavirus crisis.
Rep. Gabbard drops out of the Democratic presidential primary race and endorses former Vice President Joe Biden.
