CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Representative Pramila Jayapal

Interview

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CABRERA: All right. MJ Lee, thank you for bringing us the very latest.

Right now the Senate Judiciary Committee is still scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation this coming Thursday. At this hour, though, it remains unclear if that is going to happen.

[20:15:06] Joining us now is Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington.

Congresswoman, thank you for being with us. The House obviously has no say in Supreme Court appointments. So your hands are somewhat tied but what is your message for your Senate colleagues who can do something?

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D), WASHINGTON: Well, I think the first thing is just to say again how courageous Christine Ford has been. This was not something she asked for. I think in many of these cases, as you know, Ana, it takes a lot for a woman to come forward and particularly in a situation like this where she knew that if she did come forward that this was going to be questioned, that her credibility would be questioned, and so my -- my thanks, deep thanks to her for coming forward with this.

I think that if the Senate Judiciary Committee goes forward with this vote this Thursday it would be an insult and an injury to every woman in this country. It would be like sticking a finger in your eye -- in the eye of every woman because we all know regardless of what political party we're part of, we all know that sexual harassment, sexual assault is real. That is what the Me Too Movement has been about, and at this point the Senate Judiciary Committee should stop these hearings.

They should get somebody who is an independent investigator come in and actually investigate this so that it's not -- you know, it's not about political partisanship and we should make sure that Christine Ford is given the respect of having a real investigation into this. This is the highest court in the land. There is absolutely no reason to move forward with Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings and confirmation vote at this point. That would be a tremendous disservice and I think, you know, as a mom I'm thinking about a 15- year-old daughter that this happened to.

We all should care about making sure that this confirmation does not go forward at this point without a full hearing. CABRERA: Kavanaugh's accuser has shared this detailed account now.

She has therapy notes that corroborate some of her claims, according to the "Washington Post." She also passed a polygraph test. Do you believe her claims?

JAYAPAL: I really -- I do, and, you know, I have been outspoken on this issue in the past, including in some difficult situations in Congress with some of my colleagues. I think that this is a very credible claim. I think it is absolutely understandable why she would not have come forward, and I think in a lot of these cases what happens is, you know, the victim of sexual assault or sexual harassment is sitting at home. She is watching proceedings go on.

She's watching somebody on TV being portrayed as this upstanding family man and finally something in her snaps and she says I can't do this anymore. I have a responsibility to say what happened to me. This has happened in situation after situation with women. It is very difficult to come forward, and it sounds like she has struggled with this.

The "Washington Post" did verify that she took a polygraph test. Why did she take a polygraph test? She took one because she knew her credibility was going to be maligned if she came forward and so this is -- I do believe her and I think that we -- that there is -- you know, the White House supposedly has a list of many candidates for this Supreme Court nomination, highest court in the land.

And remember that Brett Kavanaugh has also had other instances where he has clearly misled if not perjured himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The most notable being around the -- his role in the nomination of Judge Pryor where he said he was not involved to Senator Leahy back when this was -- when he was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, only to find out in these e-mails that that was not true.

CABRERA: Congressman -- let me bring it back, though, quickly to this issue specifically because there's been a lot of criticism for how Dianne Feinstein has handled this by Republican colleagues and supporters of Brett Kavanaugh, the fact that she had this letter at the end of July and just now is revealing that she had received it and, of course, that was even before this woman came forward publicly. She was just anonymous. Why do you think she sat on it?

JAYAPAL: Well, when you read the text of the letter, and I had read it earlier today as well, it clearly says in there, I want this to remain confidential, and I think we've all been in this situation where a woman has come to us and said this happened to me, but I am not ready to go forward with it, I am not ready to go public with it.

Clearly Christine Ford, Dr. Ford has been trying to figure out how to move forward with this in a way that allows her to feel whole and her to feel like she's done her responsibility to the country, but it was not something she was looking to bring forward.

[20:20:10] So I think it took her a while and I think Senator Feinstein had to respect for the desire of Dr. Ford to remain confidential and to not have her name be disclosed. Because, you know, you have to understand when you're coming forward, you have to be ready, and I don't know if you can be ready for something like this frankly.

CABRERA: Yes.

JAYAPAL: In this kind of a moment, and I think Dianne Feinstein -- her hands were somewhat tied. I don't think that was totally clear until we saw the contents of the letter and until we heard from Christine Ford herself, but I think now it is entirely clear she was respecting Dr. Ford's wishes, and I think that was the right thing to do.

CABRERA: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, thank you very much.

JAYAPAL: Thank you, Ana.

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