Elizabeth Warren Censured After Comments About Jeff Sessions

Sen. Elizabeth Warren was censured and prevented from speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday night. The incident occurred after she quoted Coretta Scott King during debate of Sen. Jeff Sessions' nomination as attorney general.

Under Senate rule 19, "No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator."

And this is exactly what the presiding officer of the Senate, Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, accused Warren of doing when she read a letter from the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

Because Sessions is not only a nominee but a member of the Senate, stricter rules apply on what other Senators can say about him — even in debate about his appointment. But the rule, under which Warren was censured and prevented from continuing with her remarks, is rarely invoked.

"'Mr. Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve,'" Warren said, reading from the King's letter. "'This simply cannot be allowed to happen.'"

McConnell quoted these words back to Warren as he called her to order.

"I am surprised that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate," Warren replied. She pushed to appeal the formal rebuke, but did not garner enough support from her colleagues to prevail.

"She was warned, she was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Following the formal call to order, Warren was barred from speaking again during the debate on the nominee.

Many of Warren's colleagues and supporters were outraged at the decision.

"Did Mitch McConnell actually just declare the Senate a Safe Space?" asked MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Twitter.

The Congressional Black Caucus issued a statement after the incident saying, "Republican senators' decision tonight to silence Coretta Scott King from the grave is disgusting and disgraceful. Mrs. King's characterization of then U.S. Attorney Senator Sessions was accurate in 1986 and it is accurate now."

It continues: "He is as much a friend to the Black community and civil rights as Bull Connor and the other Good Old Boys were during the Civil Rights Movement."

Read the letter Warren was quoting from:

Watch the remarks below:

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