Sen. Whitehouse: SCOTUS Justice Brett Kavanaugh was not 'properly vetted'

In wake of the Republican war on abortion rights, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has offered his own assessment of the Supreme Court's leaked plan to overturn Roe v. Wade. He also shed light on a compelling detail about one sitting conservative justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Speaking to MSNBC News' Joy Reid, Whitehouse suggested U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was not properly vetted before being confirmed. He also explained why such an oversight occurred. According to Whitehouse, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was restricted from conducting a proper background on the justice nominee after he was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford.

"Brett Kavanaugh was not properly vetted and we pretty well know it,” Whitehouse told Reid. “We know that the FBI was not allowed to do a proper supplemental background investigation once this charge was raised."

Whitehouse's revelation about Kavanaugh comes as Republicans gear up to ban abortion in states across the U.S. While Republican lawmakers have moved full speed ahead with their initiative, many reports have deeply criticized the controversial legislation as 10 states have failed to include provisions where extenuating circumstances are a factor; namely, circumstances involving rape and incest.

On Monday, May 9, Yahoo! News' Ben Adler reported: "Of the 22 states with abortion bans that will instantly take effect if the landmark Supreme Court ruling is overturned, 10 have passed laws that make no exceptions for rape or incest: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas."

The vast majority of these controversial measures were passed in states with Republican-controlled legislatures. In response to criticism about the lack of provisions in his state, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) claimed “that decision was made by the Mississippi Legislature, and I think there is certainly a conversation.”

“We’ll see what happens based upon the ultimate outcome of the Dobbs case that is before the Supreme Court," Reeves said.