The United States Senate has long been considered the world’s greatest deliberative body and has historically been a more collegial place with a less partisan atmosphere. On Tuesday night, the deliberative body, dominated by Republican white southern males, "shooshed" a northern, progressive female member. Led by Senate Majority leader mitch mcconnell and backed up by the GOP, the deliberative body told the senior Democratic U.S. Senator from the state of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, to "shut up."
The crime committed by Sen. Warren, according to McConnell and his male cohorts, was to read a letter written to the U.S.
Senate Judiciary Committee 30 years ago by coretta scott king in opposition to Jeff Sessions. At the time, Ms. King vigorously opposed the nomination of Jeff Sessions to a federal judgeship. Sessions did not win the approval of the Senate for the federal judgeship.
Elizabeth Warren was formally silenced while reading a letter by Coretta Scott King that criticized Jeff Sessions https://t.co/eB7OTWvlJJ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 8, 2017
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell silences Sen. Elizabeth Warren
During a speech by Sen. Warren in opposition to the Sessions nomination as U.S. Attorney General, Sen. McConnell interrupted her mid-speech to a near-empty Senate chamber. McConnell claimed she had breached Senate rules by reading 30-year old statements against Sessions from the late senator Edward M.
Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the late Coretta Scott King.
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
McConnell claims Warren 'impugned the character' of a fellow U.S. Senator
Sen.
McConnell said, “The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama.” The rebuke was followed by a series of roll-call votes and in a party-line vote, 49 to 43, the ruling of the Senate chair was upheld that Sen. Warren should "sit down." This forced her silence until the end of the debate.
For Elizabeth Warren's supporters, the vote leading to #LetLizSpeak was a textbook case of males silencing a woman https://t.co/Ma9kYevGmX pic.twitter.com/10oowQIhcy
— CNN (@CNN) February 8, 2017
The letter from Mrs.
King accused Sessions of using “the awesome power of his office to chill the pre-exercise of the vote by black citizens.” The vote is expected on Wednesday for the nomination of Sen. Sessions and he is expected to be approved, mostly along party lines.
