Senate Debates Jeff Sessions Nomination for Attorney General
May 12, 2017
Senate Debates Jeff Sessions Nomination for Attorney General
On Wednesday, the Senate floor held a debate for President Donald Trump’s nomination of Jeff
Sessions as attorney general.
Speakers in the debate include Bernie Sanders, who spoke about Senator Elizabeth Warren who
clashed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday night after he claimed that the
Massachusetts Democrat had violated a Senate rule against impugning another senator.
The incident only served to energize a debate that continued late into Wednesday evening, as
Democrats paraded to the Senate podium to offer their support for Warren and question
Sessions' fitness to lead the Justice Department.
She had read past statements against Sessions from figures such as the late senator Edward M.
Kennedy and the late Coretta Scott King. “The senator has impugned the motives and conduct
of our colleague from Alabama,” McConnell said, then setting up a series of roll-call votes on
Warren’s conduct.
Since then, Jeff Sessions has been confirmed as the attorney general with a vote of 52- 47, and
republicans are now voting to rebuke Elizabeth Warren.
After the McConnell silenced Warren, he sent out a message on Twitter saying “Sen. Warren
was giving a lengthy speech. She had appeared to violate the rule. She warned. She was given
an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Supporters immediately seized upon McConnell’s statement and gave Warren a far bigger
megaphone than if they had simply let her continue speaking in what had been a mostly empty
chamber, some pointed out. They have posted the words “Nevertheless, she persisted.” With
pictures of women leaders who made great change, such as Rosa Parks, Malala Yousafzai, and
Harriet Tubman.
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