Sen. Elizabeth Warren was giving a speech that was explicitly critical of Trump’s pick for the next attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions. However, she got what she deserved when the majority leader Mitch McConnell used a parliamentary procedure to silence her. It’s unfortunate that Warren had the guts to break the rules of decorum by quoting a letter from Coretta Scott King who was Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow as she opposed Sessions’ nomination to be a federal judge back in 1986.
King pointed out in the letter that Sessions abused his office’s power as the United States Attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens, adding that Sessions attempted to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters.
The majority leader pointed out that by reading a 30-year-old letter from Dr. Martin Luther King’s widow that dated to Sen. Jeff Sessions’ failed judicial nomination, the Massachusetts Democrat questioned the motives and conduct of the colleague from Alabama. McConnell went ahead and invoked Rule 19 to silence Warren.
The purpose of the rule is to ensure that senators are polite to each other. However, Warren deserved to be silenced and despite a few attempts to object McConnell’s move, the majority leader objected her. In support of McConnell, the chair, Sen. Steve Daines commanded Warren to take her seat. The Senate voted 49-43 to effectively silence Elizabeth Warren for breaking a rule impugning Senator Jeff Sessions.
The frustrated Sen. Elizabeth Warren called in to the Rachel Maddow show where she discussed her torment. Warren claimed that she had been red carded and she would not be allowed to speak Sessions anymore. Sessions final vote on his nomination is scheduled to take place on Wednesday even as Democrats hold the floor for 30 hours to battle his nomination.
