Senate Democrats used a procedural move Tuesday to stall a committee vote on Sen. Jeff Sessions
Jeff Sessions'Idiots' — Senate tensions boil over Marijuana legalization must include justice reform Overnight Regulation: Republicans put Obama coal rule on chopping block MORE’s nomination to be attorney general, one day after the growing controversy surrounding President Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim nations led to the firing of an acting attorney general for insubordination.
Jeff Sessions'Idiots' — Senate tensions boil over Marijuana legalization must include justice reform Overnight Regulation: Republicans put Obama coal rule on chopping block MORE’s nomination to be attorney general, one day after the growing controversy surrounding President Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim nations led to the firing of an acting attorney general for insubordination.The Senate Judiciary Committee will reconvene at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to vote on Sessions’s nomination, Chairman Chuck Grassley
Chuck GrassleyTrump taps Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court Dems delay Sessions vote GOP chairman defends staff who helped draft Trump travel order MORE (R-Iowa) said.
Chuck GrassleyTrump taps Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court Dems delay Sessions vote GOP chairman defends staff who helped draft Trump travel order MORE (R-Iowa) said.The announcement came after the committee took a break to allow members to vote on the floor confirmation of Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary.
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Mazie HironoDems delay Sessions vote Senators move to nix Trump's ban on funding NGOs that provide abortions McMahon dodges smackdown from Small Business Committee MORE (D-Hawaii) told Grassley that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
Charles SchumerWarren says she'll oppose Trump's Supreme Court nominee Schumer: I have 'serious doubts' about Trump's Supreme Court nominee Overnight Tech: FCC chief vows to cut back regs | Tech groups reportedly meeting over Trump immigration order | Trump delays cyber actions MORE (D-N.Y.) intended to invoke the two-hour rule against holding committee meetings beyond the first two hours of the Senate's day.Sessions’s already-difficult path to confirmation was made more contentious by Trump's firing Monday night of acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who deemed the president's order illegal and said she would not have Justice attorneys defend it.
Trump quickly replaced Yates with Dana Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He rescinded the Yates order and said Justice will defend the executive order.
Democrats have fiercely criticized Trump's order and Yates's firing, and said that any vote for Sessions is a vote to let Trump stifle dissent in his Justice Department.
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) said it took “guts” and a “steel spine” to stand up to Trump’s “seemingly unconstitutional” order, which bars all refugees from entering the U.S. for four months, and bars refugees from Syria indefinitely.
Citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Sudan and Yemen are barred from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days.
“That’s what an attorney general must be willing and able to do,” Feinstein said. “I have no confidence Sessions will be able to do that.”
Republicans, however, backed Trump’s decision to fire Yates.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn
John CornynMcConnell fumes over Dem boycott Dems delay Sessions vote Top Republicans left in dark about Trump’s travel ban MORE (R-Texas) noted that the Office of Legal Counsel reviewed the legality of Trump’s order before it was issued.
John CornynMcConnell fumes over Dem boycott Dems delay Sessions vote Top Republicans left in dark about Trump’s travel ban MORE (R-Texas) noted that the Office of Legal Counsel reviewed the legality of Trump’s order before it was issued.“Her job was to do her job or resign,” he said. “I believe Trump was entirely in his rights to fire her.”
- Updated at 1:46 p.m.
