Christine Blasey Ford opens negotiations on testimony next week

When her friend jumped on them, they all fell out of bed, she said. She then rushed out of the room.

While the charges are in the era of the #MeToo movement, Dr. Blasey's accusations invariably evoke comparisons to the 1991 confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas, accused of sexual harassment by law professor Anita Hill. These hearings angered women across the United States, who were outraged at the sight of Professor Hill, an African-American woman, who was grilled by a Senate Judiciary Committee, composed entirely of white men .

Some of these men – including Mr. Grassley – are still on the list. And while the committee now has four women, all are democrats.

Earlier Thursday, Republicans of the committee had decided to hire an outside board to conduct their examination of Dr. Blasey, rather than committee members themselves, according to a Republican Senate official familiar with the decision. Although they have not yet hired somebody to fill the role, Republicans have been eager to avoid the picture of 11 men senators questioning Dr. Blasey about its account.

Instead, they seek to appeal to an experienced and familiar litigator with cases of aggression – and look for a woman, according to a person familiar with the search.

Until last week, Justice Kavanaugh, a former White House official George W. Bush who currently sits at the Federal Court of Appeal, appeared to be on track to get confirmation. The Republicans were eager to confirm it before the November elections, knowing that if the Democrats succeeded in gaining control of the Senate, it would be exponentially more difficult to approve the candidacies sent by Mr. Trump.

Conversely, for the Democrats, a delay in Judge Kavanaugh 's vote would increase the chances of blocking his confirmation and would strengthen the influence of Democrats over who will eventually occupy the vacant seat. But Senate Democrats also face risks; 10 of them ask to be re-elected in the states won by Mr. Trump, and allegations of sexual assault have blurred the policy for them.