It's war: Democratic senators boycott committee hearings for Trump cabinet picks to prevent crucial votes - and are branded 'idiots' by angry Republicans

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Democrats launched a war of obstruction against Donald Trump's remaining cabinet picks on Tuesday, delaying votes through a series of procedural blocking tactics - and were called 'idiots' by a senior Republican senator.

A Senate committee vote on Jeff Sessions as attorney general was put off until tomorrow thanks to a series of lengthy speeches by Democratic senators - and two other nominations are also effectively on ice.

Republicans were forced to delay indefinitely the planned Senate committee votes on President Donald Trump's picks to be Health and Treasury secretaries after Democrats boycotted the session and demanded more information on the two nominees' past financial behavior.

In an unusual and hastily called briefing for reporters, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee said they would not attend the panel's planned votes until they could ask more questions about Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., the Health nominee and Steve Mnuchin, Trump's Treasury selection, who they said had misled Congress about their backgrounds.

Where is everybody? Democratic seats on the Finance Committee in the Senate as the party's members boycott a confirmation hearing for Trump's Treasury Secretary nominee, Steve Mnuchin

Steve Mnuchin and his partner Louise Linton are seen arriving at Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's house. Senate Democrats delayed Mnuchin's confirmation by boycotting a hearing on his nomination

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the men would hold positions 'that directly affect peoples' lives every day. The truth matters.'

Democrats cited one report in The Wall Street Journal that Price received a special, discounted offer to buy stock in a biomedical company, which contradicted his testimony to Congress.

They said another report in The Columbus Dispatch showed documents revealing that Mnuchin had not been truthful with the Senate in the confirmation process in comments about how his bank OneWest had handled home foreclosures.

Republicans have supported both men.

Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, accused Democrats of 'a lack of desire to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities.'

'They ought to stop posturing and acting like idiots,' he said. 

The Democrats' action prevented the panel from holding the votes because under committee rules, 13 of its members — including at least one Democrat — must be present for votes.

Democrats also used using an obscure Senate rule to delay the committee vote on Sessions.

After Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee gave lengthy speeches opposing Sessions for several hours Tuesday, chairman Charles Grassley said the vote will be delayed until Wednesday. 

By giving lengthy speeches, Democrats are able to trigger a rule that doesn't allow committees to be in session for two hours past the start of the Senate day. That rule is generally waived.

In their speeches, Democrats questioned whether the Alabama Republican could be independent of President Donald Trump as the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Sessions was one of Trump's first and strongest supporters. 

Attorney General-designate, Sen. Jeff Sessions, saw his hearing continue but with angry speeches condemning the travel ban made by Democrats. A vote was postponed until Wednesday

Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Rep. Tom Price (left) and Steve Mnuchin, the Trasury Secretary designate (right) were both affected by the boycott

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the men would hold positions 'that directly affect peoples' lives every day. The truth matters' s she justified the boycott

In a more peaceful setting, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee quickly approved former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as Energy secretary by 16-7, and Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., to head Interior by 16-6. But several of his other picks faced more spirited opposition from Democrats.

As the Senate Judiciary Committee worked toward a vote on Sen. Jeff Sessions' nomination to be attorney general, the panel's top Republican praised the Alabama Republican.

'He's a man of integrity,' said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. 'He's a man of his word. And he'll enforce the law, regardless of whether he would've supported passage of that law as a legislator.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was considering conservative activist Betsy DeVos to head the Education Department and voted in favor.

After a heated debate Tuesday morning, senators on the Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee have voted 12-11 along partisan lines to support DeVos' nomination, sending it to the full Senate for action.

But two prominent Republicans on the committee, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are expressing their skepticism over DeVos. They say they are not yet sure whether they will vote for her on the Senate floor.

Murkowski says DeVos has yet to prove that she deeply cares about America's struggling schools and its children. Murkowski says the nominee has not yet earned her full support.

But former wrestling entertainment executive Linda McMahon's nomination to lead the Small Business Administration got through easily.

The 18-1 vote from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee moves McMahon's nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has cast the lone 'no' vote.

McMahon is the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment. McMahon has emphasized her business roots helping to getting the wrestling business up and running and eventually employing more than 800 people.

The entire Senate confirmed Elaine Chao to serve as Transportation secretary in the Trump administration. The vote was 93-6.

Chao is an experienced Washington hand. She was labor secretary under President George W. Bush, and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Education Secretary-nominee Betsy DeVos testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. She got through the committee vote

They're through: Rick Perry will go to a floor vote for Energy Secretary while Elaine Chaos was confirmed by the entire Senate as Transport Secretary

Through to the next round: Former World Wrestling Entertainment chief executive Linda McMahon will have a full vote on the Senate floor

McConnell voted present.

Trump by executive action has clamped temporary bans against refugees from all countries and visitors from seven Muslim-majority nations, and he's seen relations with Mexico sour after insisting it will pay for a border wall. 

And he's backing the GOP's problematic efforts to dismantle President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Democrats have targeted Price, a seven-term congressional veteran, for his staunch backing of his party's drive to scuttle Obama's health care law and to reshape Medicare and Medicaid, which help older and low-income people afford medical care.

They've also assailed Price for buying stocks of health care firms, accusing him of using insider information and conflicts of interest for backing legislation that could help his investments. Price says his trades were largely managed by brokers and that he's followed congressional ethics rules.

Democrats have accused Mnuchin of failing to protect homeowners from foreclosures and criticized him for not initially disclosing all his assets.

The Judiciary panel's vote on Sessions was coming with Democrats and demonstrators around the country in an uproar over Trump's executive order blocking refugees. Even some Republicans were warning it could hinder anti-terrorism efforts.

Democrats have questioned Sessions' devotion to enforcing civil rights laws.

DeVos, a wealthy GOP donor, has long supported charter schools and allowing school choice. That's prompted opposition from Democrats and teachers' unions, which view her stance as a threat to federal dollars that support public education.

Critics have mocked her for suggesting that guns could be justified in schools to protect students from grizzly bears. Health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., called her an 'excellent' choice.