Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren gave only brief criticism on President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jess Session, until Tuesday Feb. 7th, when Warren almost simultaneously promoted an upcoming book release.
At 3:09 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7th, Henry Holt Publishing Tweeted, “Just announced! Elizabeth Warren’s new book, THIS FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT, is on-sale on April 18th.
Just announced! Elizabeth Warren’s new book, THIS FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT, is on-sale on April 18th. https://t.co/Blq8FpP6kW
— Henry Holt (@HenryHolt) February 7, 2017
At 4:40 p.m., Warren shared the link to pre-order her new book, on her non-official Facebook page.
Warren took to the Senate floor at 6:57 p.m. Tuesday, just two hours after promoting her new book, to announce her public opposition to Sessions. (RELATED: Is Warren Fundraising Off Her Senate Drama? Watch Her Rain Dance Away From The Question)
“I rise today to express my strong opposition to the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General of the United States,” Warren stated just before 7:00 p.m.
Warren criticized Trump’s pick for Attorney General when he announced Jeff Sessions as his nominee on Nov. 18, and again said she was a no vote on Sessions Jan. 31, but her expressed opposition was tepid compared to her attacks on other Trump appointees and nominees like Steve Bannon and Betsy DeVos before Tuesday.
Instead, the ambitious New Jersey Democrat Senator Cory Booker led the opposition to Sessions, breaking with Senate tradition by testifying against a fellow senator nominated for a cabinet position. (RELATED: Cory Booker Testifies Against Jeff Sessions.)
The coordinated move helped shoot Warren’s upcoming book to number one on Amazon.com’s best selling list Tuesday evening.
At 7:16 p.m., Warren began to read the Coretta Scott King Letter, written in 1986 when Sessions was seeking a federal judgeship. The widow of the late civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr., said that Sessions had “used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell objected to Warren’s comments at 7:46 p.m. and motioned to invoke Rule 19, ordering Warren to stand down from the floor.
Under Senate Rule 19.2, senators are not allowed to “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.”
Warren blasted Sessions as a racist who would be a disgrace to the Justice Dept. “To put Senator Sessions in charge of the Department of Justice is an insult to African-Americans,” the senator said, a statement consider rather harsh by Senate standards.
The Massachusetts progressive was warned by fellow senators that she was on the verge of breaking decorum, but Warren persisted.
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,”McConnell said following the rebuke.
Warren’s violation of Rule 19 means that she will be barred from speaking on the Senate floor until after debate ends on Sessions nomination.
The senator proceeded to email her supporters with her explanation of how the evening went down, and included a donation button at the bottom of the email.
Warren phoned CNN anchor Don Lemon at 11:19 Tuesday evening, just 13 minutes after sending the email to supporters, soliciting cash.
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