RI senator in middle of Supreme Court debate

It was a tumultuous morning on Capital Hill Friday as debate began in the Senate Judiciary Committee after a heated eight hour hearing yesterday regarding the confirmation of Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh is accused of sexual assault by a former classmate in high school Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has found himself in the middle of it all.

Ahead of a 1:30 p.m. vote to confirm Kavanaugh, Whitehouse along with other Democrats abruptly left the room in protest of the way the committee is handling the accusations.

“I’m here to join my colleagues in objection to the sham process,” Whitehouse said.

Sen. Whitehouse and his fellow Democrats are not only calling for a full FBI investigation, but the senator also wants to have two other accusers testify, along with Mark Judge who is thought to have witnessed the attack on Dr. Ford.

“Unprecedented in the history of background investigations for new and credible allegations to come forward and the background investigation is not reopened,” Whitehouse said. “All three credible allegations have received zero investigation by the FBI.”

The junior senator believes Kavanaugh’s qualifications could be in question after the judge displayed what he believed to be fierce partisanship in response to Dr. Ford’s testimony.

“Conspiracy theory behavior for anyone seeking judgeship let alone a seat on the Supreme Court,” he said. “Why are [Republicans] so desperate to get this person on the Supreme Court without a proper investigation.”

Whitehouse and his colleagues rejoined the committee shortly after walking out.

ABC News is expecting a vote along party lines, with Republicans holding a slight edge in confirming Kavanaugh out of committee.