"We made important progress on our call this morning with Senate Judiciary Committee staff members," said Ford's legal team in a Sunday afternoon announcement. "We committed to moving forward with an open hearing on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her.

Ford's team has reportedly agreed that she will go first.