After the parable of #MeToo stories, Congress attacks Kavanaugh's confirmation of fallout

In the midst of the incendiary partisanship surrounding congressional hearings and historically close confirmation votes, Republican and Democrat women spoke of how they and their loved ones had been affected by sexual misconduct. Some women, like Ford, described events that would have occurred decades ago. Others have publicly acknowledged for the first time having lived the #MeToo experience, while refusing to specify what had happened.

Stories from women who told their story during the confirmation fight shaped the conversation that took place on Capitol Hill, although months, if not years, go by without anyone knowing clearly what will happen. the lasting effect on Congress of the Kavanaugh issue. hearings and the decision of so many women to talk about their experiences with sexual violence.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell, who spoke about her own #MeToo experiences in the past, said in an interview that women from the Congressional District that she represents in Michigan were telling her heart-wrenching personal stories in the middle of the confirmation from Kavanaugh. "So many people had stories, it was amazing," she said.

The congressman stated that she was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the day the Senate voted in favor of Kavanaugh's candidacy to the Supreme Court when a woman came to see her and started to sob. The woman stated that her sister had committed suicide years ago after a sexual assault.

The Michigan Democrat also heard from men in her district who told her of their own fears and worries about the current cultural calculation of harassment and aggression.

"I can not tell you the number of men who are telling me now that they're just not going to hire women because they say it's too complicated," he said. Dingell. "People are scared, I think men are worried that their lives will be destroyed."

The Democrat says the challenge now is to find a way to deal with unacceptable behavior so that "women do not suffer from the progress made in the workplace", while "ensuring that the procedures retained. "

Democratic and Republican women speak out

It's not just the Democratic legislators who have referred to the #MeToo moments of their own lives when the confirmation fight took place.

A public media reporter from Alaska asked Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski if she had ever had a #MeToo moment. The senator from Alaska responded in the affirmative by saying "yes", without however saying more. In the end, Murkowski was the only GOP senator to oppose Kavanaugh's appointment. The Senator stated that she thought Kavanaugh was a "good man" in a speech explaining her decision, but that she "could not conclude that he was the right person for the court to Current time ".

Conway, however, suggested that those who were not responsible for sexual misconduct were unfairly charged as the battle of confirmation became intensely politicized. "Let's be honest, it's a crude partisan politics," she said, discussing the Kavanaugh's fight.

In other cases, some Congressional women have told the story of close women who have been assaulted.

"So many women came forward"

The Congress, over the past year, has been facing #MeToo special moments.

Republican Senator John Kennedy, a Kavanaugh supporter serving on the Judiciary Committee who reviewed Kavanaugh's candidacy, said that listening to personal stories of women "made it clear that sexual violence is prevalent in America" ​​and stated that the #MeToo movement had opened its eyes to the extent of the problem.

"I did not realize how widespread it was before the start of the MeToo movement," said the senator from Louisiana.

"I spoke to friends of mine who were women and they said to me," What planet do you have to parachute, it has always lasted, "he added.

Kennedy said, "I'm not saying that I've never seen anything, but I did not know anything about it, and I'm sure it's real, and I understand the reluctance to speak." I think we have to deal with it, but I do not think you're fixing the problem by putting the process on hold. "

Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono, opposing the Kavanaugh candidacy and also a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the confirmation process was a "moment of mobilization for so many people who were demonstrating".

The Senator from Hawaii said that several close friends she had known for a long time had recently confided to her their own experiences of rape and sexual assault.

"So many women came forward and told us stories they had never shared before," Hirono said. "It was a moment when they wanted to be heard and I knew they were hoping to be believed."

"What she said was very important"

"How did you come home?" I do not remember, how did you get there? I do not remember. Where is the place? I do not remember how many years ago I do not know, "Trump said to applaud and applaud.

Dingell fears that women may be more reluctant to come forward after seeing how Ford has been treated and how, despite his allegations, Kavanaugh has always been upheld in the Supreme Court.

"Part of the problem for a woman, is that when she shows up … you are branded, you are troublemakers," she said, adding, "J & # 39; I have stories that I will not tell so far, if I were to tell the stories that they would have major implications that I'm just not willing to share. "

Kuster said she found it painful to watch Ford tell her allegations to members of Congress, but she was also convinced that the Californian professor's decision to testify publicly would ultimately help the survivors.

"People are often prevented from coming forward and when they have the courage to tell their story, they may not have all the details at hand," said the congressman.

"She was able to express what people feel when they have these glimpses of memory," Kuster said, adding, "It's a very common experience for anyone suffering from trauma and in especially for survivors of sexual assault … so I think she said was very important in our ongoing efforts to educate the public. "