MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Maggie Hassan

Interview

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HAYES: I`m joined now by a pair of Democratic Senators, Richard Blumenthal  of Connecticut, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator  Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Let me start with you Senator Blumenthal  because you`re on the committee. Are you involved in the negotiations  happening right now about the contours of testimony next week?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: All of us committee members are  involved at least indirectly. And the simple fact is that the Republicans  leading that committee have imposed a completely arbitrary and irrational  deadline. They should be insisting in fact that the FBI reopened its  investigation. They prefer be insisting that there be other witnesses in  the interest of uncovering the truth and basic fairness they should be  insisting that Dr. Blasey be given an opportunity to set the terms of her  coming forward. That`s a basic foundational principle in dealing with all  victims and survivors of sexual assault but they are taking just the  opposite tack.

HAYES: What do you think, Senator Hassan, about the idea of the  Republicans on that committee, it`s all madness 11 men bringing in a female  attorney, a woman to do the questioning?

SEN. MAGGIE HASSAN (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE: Well, you know, this should be  about getting to the truth, not political optics but let`s take a step back  here. We know that women who come forward with allegations of sexual  assault with stories like Dr. Ford`s have historically they`ve been  vilified, they`ve been diminished, they`ve been doubted even though we know  how prevalent sexual assault is in our society. And what we have seen is  that we all need to do better in listening to women investigating these  claims taking them seriously. And the Senate needs to do better.

So now you think back to 1991 to Anita Hill`s testimony in that hearing.  That hearing had an FBI investigation beforehand, it went on for three  days. I think it included multiple, multiple witnesses and even that was  considered to be grossly unfair and inadequate. And now today Senate  Republicans are talking about a process that is far worse. We should be  trying to fulfill our constitutional obligation to get to the truth here to  vet this candidate fully. And I continue to be just amazed that the  Republicans aren`t insisting on an FBI investigation which is the kind of  foundation you need to have a productive effective hearing in which you can  actually get to the truth with multiple witnesses because there are more  than two witnesses in this matter according to Dr. Ford`s account.

HAYES: What do you ascribe the -- I mean, they -- let me give you the  argument that Republicans have been making and you can respond to it. This  is -- that this was all done in bad faith, that the ranking members,  Senator Feinstein sat on this and then it leaked out and it was a bomb  exploded at the last minute as a sort of desperate attempt to forestall  this and the mishandling has brought us to this perilous moment. I want to  get both of your reactions. I`ll start with you Senator Blumenthal to that  argument.

BLUMENTHAL: Let`s be very clear. The foundational principle of dealing  with sexual assault is that the survivors have the right to come forward  when they wish to tell their story as they wish and identify themselves  when they think it`s appropriate. That is the principle that Senator 
Feinstein followed. And the timing issue --

HAYES: Well, leaked though. I mean, someone didn`t follow it.

BLUMENTHAL: After six weeks in the United States Senate, a lot of things  leaked. But here`s the other important point. The timing here is solely  the result of the Republican leadership setting this arbitrary October 1  deadline and trying to ram through this nomination on a timetable that is  totally cravenly and blatantly political. And if their instinct and the  intention was to uncover the truth, they would insist on an FBI  investigation. Otherwise, we`re just going to have a sham and charade show  hearing, not a real hearing.

HAYES: Senator Hassan?

HASSAN: Look, yes, a real hearing should happen and then the process that  follows should be determined by what they find out in the hearing. But  look, this is just -- these allegations from Republicans are just shameful.  Dr. Ford has had to flee her home. Her children, her husband and she had  been subjected to death threats. She is trying. She has stepped forward.  She has been brave and courageous in bringing forward these charges against  an incredibly powerful person. And what she is being met with is a rush to  defend this person rather than get at the truth.

You know, the benefit of the doubt here to quote Senator Robert Byrd back I  think in about 1991, the benefit of the doubt should go to the court and to  the country. That`s our job and it is absolutely shameful to be playing  politics with this.

BLUMENTHAL: And there is an effect, Chris, in the larger context on other  survivors who are deterred from coming forward. You know I spent a part of  today with a couple of survivors and advocates who describe their own  experiences very much like this one when they felt doubt self-blame, guilt,  stigma. They waited years to come forward. One in every six women in  America are assaulted or raped. This crime is underreported because of  precisely the fear that now is being realized the nightmare for Dr. Blasey  ford. And the way that some of our Republican colleagues are talking about  her with utter intensity -- insensitivity and hostility simply illustrates  the problem she may encounter at this hearing.

HAYES: Senator Hassan, do you have faith that there`s persuade ability on  the Republican side that there are members, colleagues of yours that  haven`t opened enough mind that you think that something can be  accomplished here in terms of a presentation of the evidence?

HASSAN: Well, I certainly hope so. And that`s why I think it is so  important that we get this hearing right. I think it is so important that  Dr. Ford`s concerns about her safety and about feeling respected in the  process really need to be honored. And I think that`s why it`s so  important for there to be serious good faith here. I am concerned when I  hear some of my Republican colleagues say that you know, we`ll have the  hearing on Monday and then we`ll vote on Wednesday, when in fact what  happens in an investigation and hearing should then determine when and if a  vote happens.

HAYES: Yes, and you have the chief counsel on the Judiciary Committee for  Senator Grassley saying we`re going to confirm him which seems to be sort  of tipping the hand a little bit. Senator Richard Blumenthal and senator Maggie Hassan, thank you both being with me. Ahead, the man who managed the Roger Ailes debacle at Fox News is now trying to save Donald from Supreme Court nominee from the sexual assault allegation. We`ll talk about that in two minutes.

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