Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has been voted by the Senate as the attorney general in a 52-47 vote that went along party lines. This comes after the rigorous discussion and debates that saw Democrats and Republicans seething as Elizabeth Warren got barred from speaking.
Surprisingly, Sen. Joe Manchin was the only Democrat who decided to break party rank by voting for Sessions. On the opposition sides, Independent Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King Of Maine alongside 45 Democrats opposed Sessions.
Sessions nomination caused chaos when Sen. Elizabeth Warren read a letter that Coretta Scott King had written back in 1986 accusing Sessions, who was the U.S. attorney back then, of abusing the power of his office to prevent blacks from voting. However, Warren got what she deserved after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell objected Warren’s speech since she was impugning Sessions. The Senate agreed in a 49-43 vote, to block Warren from speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
McConnell was accused by angry Democrats of silencing a woman on the floor. However, the tensions were on full display during the debate over Sessions nomination. The Senate Majority leaders emphasized that Sessions is honest, fair, and he’s been a friend to many of the Senators on both sides of the aisle.
In retaliation, Democrats attempted to criticize Sessions with false allegations on civil rights and race issues. One of the Democrats, Sen. Dick Durbin claimed that its appropriate for Senators to consider the position of Sessions on matters concerning the Voting Rights Act. Sen. Dianne Feinstein also claimed that Senator Sessions is not a man apart from his agenda, adding that he’s not independent of Trump’s agenda.
On the other hand, Republicans decried the Democratic tactics by arguing that they were going to new lows in an attempt to smear Sessions. One of the long-serving Senate traditionalist, Sen. Orrin Hatch made it clear that Democrats were treating Sessions like a terrible person, as he also urged them to think of Sessions wife.
The cold hard truth is the fact that Sessions is well-liked by many Senators. Sessions will take over the Justice Department’s defense of Trump’s controversial executive order barring individuals from the seven countries that are predominantly occupied by the Muslims from coming to the U.S.
