Senator Chuck Grassley in his Washington, D.C. office.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of physically and sexually assaulting her when the two were in high school “deserves to be heard.” Grassley, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke with Radio Iowa this afternoon, before his early evening announcement that a public hearing is scheduled for next Monday on the matter.

“For my part, not only as chairman of the committee, but an individual senator — I think most of my colleagues feel the same way — these sort of accusations need to be looked into and we’re taking steps to look into them,” Grassley said during an interview in his Senate office earlier today.

Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford had both said they are willing to testify before Grassley’s committee. Grassley indicated he’s been conferring with colleagues and his staff was trying to connect with Ford’s attorney.

“There’s not a single Republican that wouldn’t say these allegations shouldn’t be looked into, then you get to a process question,” Grassley said. “Well, we’ll take that a step at a time.”

Two other Republicans on the panel said early today that Kavanaugh and Ford, who both attended parochial schools in the D.C. area as teenagers, should testify under oath to the committee. Grassley had proposed telephone interviews of Kavanaugh, Ford and another man who Ford says was present during the alleged assault at a high school drinking party.

Grassley’s plan to bring Kavanaugh’s nomination up for a vote in the Judiciary Committee on Thursday is now delayed. Earlier today President Trump said Kavanaugh “never even had a little blemish on his record,” but the president indicated he was open “a little delay” as senators review the allegations against Kavanaugh.

And Grassley said, at this point, he hasn’t heard any GOP senator say he or she will vote “no” on Kavanaugh’s nomination.

“There’s not a single Republican at this date that’s willing to say (Kavanaugh) won’t be…on the supreme court,” Grassley told Radio Iowa.

(This posted was updated at 4:24 pm central with new information.)