Republicans just stirred up a shit-storm they are going to regret when they tried to silence progressive firebrand Elizabeth Warren.
Enraged Democrats are taking to social media in the wake of Republican efforts to silence any dissent during Sen. Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearings for the post of Attorney General.
Senate Republicans led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voted Tuesday night 49-to-43, along party lines, to silence Warren after she attempted to read a 1986 letter for Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King’s widow, into the record, effectively silencing her for the rest of the debate regarding Session’s appointment.
Warren took to Twitter, tweeting that: “Tonight @SenateMajLdr [Mitch McConnell] silenced Mrs King’s voice on the Sen floor – & millions who are afraid & appalled by what’s happening in our country.”
She followed that up with a series of tweets to include:
- “I spoke out about @SenatorSessions – until @SenateMajLdr McConnell decided to silence me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVyq6kAN6u4 …” source
- “I will not be silent about a nominee for AG who has made derogatory & racist comments that have no place in our justice system.” source
- “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.” source
- “Tonight @SenateMajLdr silenced Mrs King’s voice on the Sen floor – & millions who are afraid & appalled by what’s happening in our country.” source
The Boston Globe reports that, “Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior aide to Barack Obama, said on Twitter: “Going out on a limb here but shushing @elizabethforma to prevent her from reading the words of Coretta Scott King just might backfire.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the longest-serving member in the Senate remarked: “I never ever saw a time when a member of the Senate asked to put into the record a letter — especially by a civil rights icon — and somebody objected.”
“Don’t let the Senate turn into something it’s never been before,” he added. “I would hope that cooler heads prevail.”
As The Hill reports, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated that:”If the average American heard someone read a letter from Coretta Scott King … they would not be offended,” adding that “It seems to me that we could use Rule 19 almost every day on the floor of the Senate. This is selective enforcement.”
The hashtag #LetLizSpeak began trending last night and is still the top trending topic on Twitter at the time this article was published with several members of both houses of Congress participating.
Sen. Kamala Harris, Democratic Senator from California and former California Attorney General tweeted: “It is demeaning to the memory of Coretta Scott King and harmful to the process for the Republicans to silence @SenWarren. #LetLizSpeak“.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) tweeted: “Tonight, I voted to #LetLizSpeak.”
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) tweeted as did Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and others.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) tweeted “This is absolutely outrageous. #LetLizSpeak“.
This is absolutely outrageous. #LetLizSpeak https://t.co/uz43tQdmPv
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 8, 2017
And Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) may have put it best when he tweeted: “Senate GOP has now ruled that any Democrat who criticizes Sessions’ record will be stripped of right to speak. It’s outrageous. #LetLizSpeak” [emphasis added]
Senate GOP has now ruled that any Democrat who criticizes Sessions' record will be stripped of right to speak. It's outrageous. #LetLizSpeak pic.twitter.com/Q6NaskHOAh
— Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) February 8, 2017
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