Most of the victories currently available to Congressional Democrats are moral. Just as they spoke out against the nomination of Betsy DeVos, Senate Democrats will attempt to hold the floor before the vote to confirm Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General is held tomorrow.
Elizabeth Warren, who occupies a windswept patch of real estate in Donald Trump's brain, was reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King in opposition to Sessions' nomination for a Federal judgeship. That was in 1986, and he was voted down at least in part due to allegations of racism. Sessions will note that he headed a prosecution widely credited with crippling the Ku Klux Klan, but unbiased accounts have him playing a supervisory role. Since he's been in the Senate, his track record on women's rights has been less than sterling.
Some might say that he is being selected only because he displayed a talent for disenfranchising elderly Black voters during his time in Alabama. Voter suppression has long been a key staple of the Republican hold on power, Trump's falsehoods notwithstanding. Others might say different things.
While Warren was reading that letter by King, discovered only recently after Strom Thurmond (big time racist) blocked it from entering the Senate record, Mitch McConnell invoked a point of order to block her. Since Republicans plan to allow the Democrats to speak before Sessions is inevitably confirmed, this is a fairly important symbolic gesture against Martin Luther King, Jr.'s widow.
McConnell invoked Rule 19 to stop Warren from speaking. That's a rule preventing Senators from using the floor to impugn their colleagues. Though the rule is slightly esoteric, McConnell argued that Warren had attributed impure motives to Sessions. That's a no-no because Sessions is a sitting Senator while he awaits conformation.
“The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama,” McConnell said from the Senate floor. “I call the senator to order under the provisions of Rule 19.”
McConnell's rebuke of Warren was upheld 49-43 in a vote that fell along party lines. By rule, she won't be allowed to speak from the floor until after the debate on Sessions has ended. That will likely be Wednesday early afternoon.
Flagging— Elizabeth Warren was silenced by McConnell tonight for reading the words of Coretta Scott King while speaking out against Sessions pic.twitter.com/ctXrge5Si0
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 8, 2017
After she was told to stop speaking, Warren tweeted her displeasure with how things had gone.
Tonight on the Senate floor, I tried to speak about why @SenatorSessions is totally unfit to serve as Attorney General.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
I spoke out about @SenatorSessions – until @SenateMajLdr McConnell decided to silence me. https://t.co/qbty7x0iLl
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
I will not be silent about a nominee for AG who has made derogatory & racist comments that have no place in our justice system.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
I will not be silent while the Republicans rubber stamp an AG who will never stand up to the @POTUS when he breaks the law.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
Tonight @SenateMajLdr silenced Mrs King's voice on the Sen floor - & millions who are afraid & appalled by what's happening in our country.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
Almost immediately, #LetLizSpeak was flooded with tweets in support of Senator Warren. Prominent Democratic Senators were the first to speak out.
RT now if you believe it is wrong for the GOP to silence @SenWarren for trying to read a letter from Coretta Scott King. #LetLizSpeak
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 8, 2017
This just happened: @SenateGOP censured @senwarren for reading letter from Coretta Scott King. Unbelievable. RT if you agree: #LetLizSpeak!
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) February 8, 2017
.@SenateMajLdr won't #LetLizSpeak because he can't deny what Coretta Scott King had to say about Senator Sessions #StopSessions pic.twitter.com/pS1l6CklTJ
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) February 8, 2017
Senator Chris Murphy took things the furthest.
This is unreal. Senate Republicans have ruled that any Democrat that criticizes Sessions' record will be stripped of the right to speak. https://t.co/At5fqUkVWF
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 8, 2017
I am speaking later tonight. I will be talking about Sessions' record. With gusto. Go ahead and rule me out of order. https://t.co/CL30xHQbM2
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 8, 2017
Sessions will likely be confirmed tomorrow.
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