king, coretta scott king's letter about jeff sessions in 1986. they said she was impugning another senator and have ruled against her and ordered her to be quiet. she may have to be quiet in the senate but she's going to join us live on this show in just a moment. there's a lot going on tonight. frankly too much to get to. i'll stop talking now and we'll be right back with elizabeth warren. cavities and restores tooth enamel. it's an easy way to give listerine® total care to the total family. listerine® total care. one bottle, six benefits. power to your mouth™. >>> okay, so we have been keeping an eye on a developing situation tonight in the u.s. senate. democrats tonight have been trying to take a stand trying to hold the senate floor in protest of jeff sessions' nomination as attorney general. in the last few hours, massachusetts senator elizabeth warren took the stand to read an interesting piece of senate history. one of the reasons it's interesting is that until recently it didn't exist in the historical record. 1986, 30 years ago, core

king, coretta scott king's letter about jeff sessions in 1986. they said she was impugning another senator and have ruled against her and ordered her to be quiet. she may have to be quiet in the senate but she's going to join us live on this show in just a moment. there's a lot going on tonight. frankly too much to get to. i'll stop talking now and we'll be right back with elizabeth warren. on your budget. -oh -- -oh, not so fast, tadpole. you have to learn to swim first. claire, here's your name your price tool. -oh, thanks, flo. -mm-hmm. jamie, don't forget to clean the fridge when you're done. she seems nice. she seems nice. [ door closes ] she's actually pretty nice. oh. yeah. companies across the state are york sgrowing the economy,otion. with the help of the lowest taxes in decades, a talented workforce, and world-class innovations. like in plattsburgh, where the most advanced transportation is already en route. and in corning, where the future is materializing. let us help grow your company's tomorrow - today at esd.ny.gov ♪ something ne

king, coretta scott king's letter about jeff sessions in 1986. they said she was impugning another senator and have ruled against her and ordered her to be quiet. she may have to be quiet in the senate but she's going to join us live on this show in just a moment. there's a lot going on tonight. frankly too much to get to. i'll stop talking now and we'll be right back with elizabeth warren. while calf roping". yep. greatness deserves recognition. you got any trophies, cowboy? uh, yea, well, uh... well, there's this one. "best insurance mobile app"? yep, three years in a row. well i'll be! does that thing just follow you around? like a little puppy. the award-winning geico app. download it today. i'm on it.ar does weathertech go to protect your vehicle? ♪ ♪ ♪ weathertech. made right, in america that goes beyond assuming beingredients are safe...ood to knowing they are. going beyond expectations... because our pets deserve it. beyond. natural pet food. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq

coretta scott king points out, the irony of mr. sessions' nomination is that, if confirmed, he'll be given life tenure for doing with a federal prosecution what local sheriffs accomplished years ago with clubs and cadle prod lcattle pr. >> let's talk w what's happene in the intervening hours since this happened on the floor. your democtic colleagues have gone down to the senate floor. they've been reading this letter out loud. was that something you asked them to do? >> nope. >> and so far, they've been allowed to continue speaking. some say it was sexist to silence you on the floor last night. >> you'd have to ask mitch mcconnell. he's the one who shut me down for doing this. but i will tell you what i did. as soon as i was no longer allowed to read, i went outside the senate chamber and i read the whole speech, just did it live on video and posted it on facebook. i hope everybody reads the speech. i have tried to put up as many connections. i want children to read this speech. i want adults to read this speech. i want all people,

she worked with coretta scott "corettaer memoir scott king: my life, my love, my legacy." this may be the first time the coretta scott king's testimony against sessions was ashley put into the congressional record. she had sent it in 30 years ago. but at the time, the judiciary chair, senate judiciary chair strom thurmond, a fierce segregationist, did not put her testimony into the record. so 30 years later, senator warren got it put in by reading it. is that right? >> yes -- that when you look at the spectacle of a female u.s. senator trying to read testimony of an american hero, coretta scott king, who was a witness to what happened in alabama -- what she stood up for -- and both were silenced, this made me feel we were back to the 1950's. it was an appalling sight. i want to say this about who she was because she was not talking their radically. i mean, she grew up in marion, alabama, where this whole case, the marian three, took place. these were civil rights leaders who were trying to register blacks to vote. sessions prosecuted them. this is important because of who

a letter from coretta scott king. this morning, another senator read the same letter on the senate floor. i don't believe he was shushed, but i could be wrong. we'll go to capitol hill for the latest. help you take on a new j, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com. find out how american express cards and services now? excuse me. again? be right back. always running to the bathroom because your bladder is lling the shots? you may have oab. enough of this. we're going to the doctor. take charge and ask your doctor about myrbetriq. that's myr-be-triq, the first and only treatment in its class for oab symptoms of urgency frequency, and leakage. myrbetriq (mirabegron) may increase blood pressure. tell your doctor right away if you have trouble emptying your bladder, or have a weak urine stream. myrbetriq may cause serious allergic reactions. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat o

sherman: i ask unanimous consent to place in the record a letter and statement by coretta scott king from 1986. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. r. sherman: thank you. last tuesday senator elizabeth warren sought to bring to the attention of the senate some material about an attorney general nominee, jeff sessions, senator jeff sessions at the time. she was silenced. she persisted, but ultimately the record of the senate does not reflect the remarks she was trying to give. in particular, she was trying to bring to the attention of the senate a statement and letter of coretta scott king from 1986. ou see, in 1986 then jefferson b. sessions was a u.s. attorney, federal prosecutor, who had been appointed for a position as a u.s. district judge. and at that time coretta scott king wrote to the then chair of the senate judiciary committee, senator strom thurmond, and while the senate may not entertain these remarks, while the senate may stifle a united states senator, this is the people's house and it is appropriate that the record of this house at least reflect the comments of

especially since she was reading a letter from coretta scott king. it's not like she was saying jeff sessions used the force of his power. it was a letter from kind of an i skaun of the civil rights movement doing that. >> and remind our viewers why she was bringing that letter. it was a criticism of jeff sessions at a time when he was being considered for a federal courtship. >> that's right. he did not end up getting that federal judgeship. it was beforele he ran for senate. it was back in the '80s. and honestly, this kind of episode had almost been forgotten in the confirmation fight of jeff sessions. he seemed to do very well in his confirmation hearings, answering some of these questions. democrats didn't have the numbers to stop him. by doing this, they've really opened this whole chaptser back up again. >> it's clear they don't have the numbers to stop him but they're trying to find other ways to slow up or oppose the president's nominees. let's listen to what senator mitch mckauth said. his rationale here. he said she'd been warned and she di

senator bernie sanders reading that letter from coretta scott king now. you're seeing him live on the floor. is there any hope for republicans and democrats to work together during the trump years? any hope at all? we'll find out. >>> before you get to totally hopeless, check out something to brighten your day. a police officer breaking it down with a dance troupe in canada. this guy thought he was responding to a fight but he found the group filming a music video. instead of leaving, he decided to join in, and he's got moves, man. got more after the break. ♪ will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com. find out how american here you go.picking up for kyle. you wouldn't put up with part of a pizza. um. something wrong? so when it comes to pain relievers, why put up with just part of a day? you want the whole thing? y

i will say, i hope everyone reads coretta scott king's letter. when i was silenced, i went outside and read it on a live feed and posted it on facebook, i tweeted it. i want everyone to read this letter, including the republican senators who will be voting on his nomination tonight. >> is this kind of rhetoric what voters are asking for right now, to fight donald trump tooth and nail? >> i don't think voters are asking us to ignore facts. i don't think voters are asking us to say, you know, we're just going to ignore what this man did to black citizens because it's not only the black citizens. the speech also talked about what he has done with immigrants, with women. the real question for an attorney general of the united states is whether or not he can be trusted in the hours when you can't review what he does? can he be trusted to do two things to stand up strongly on behalf of everyone, not just those he agrees with, but everyone and, secondly, does he have the intestinal forditude to stand up to the president of the united states when the pre

coretta scott king. forced to sit down by a rarely invoked rule not used against republicans. >> senators impugn the motives and conduct of our colleague from alabama. i call the senator to order under the provisions of rule 19. >> mr. president, i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. i ask leave of the senate to continue my remarks. >> is there objection? >> i object. >> a peeled the ruling -- >> objection is heard. the senator will take her seat. >> senator warren speaking out just moments ago to msnbc's kasie hunt. >> i want children to read this speech. i want adults to read this speech. i want all people and particularly i want the republicans who are going to vote tonight on whether or not jeff sessions becomes the next attorney general of the united states. i want them to read this speech before they vote. >> coming up, we'll talk to senators bernie sanders and tom udahl two democrats who came to the floor to finish what elizabe

it was simply it this, cover ret that scott king said that mr. sessions exercised the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by african americans. that was more or less a fact about the conduct that was examined back in 1986 by the senate judiciary committee. and the senate committee did find mr. sessions, senator sessions unfit to serve as a judge based on the testimony and the testimony of many others. and this had to do with the suppression, the of the opportunity for african americans to vote in alabama. this is part of the historical record. it's already part of the senate record. part of the reason she has great concerns about whether jeff sessions serving as the attorney general of theelieves in justic all. >> what would constitute a violation in your mind because we just played marco rubio there saying look he's concerned, he says there is a slippage in decorum in civility. i know this is something senators on both sides of the aisle at different times talk about, cherishing sort of the culture of the senate. w

sessions, signed sincerely coretta scott king. what was harmful about that. talks about voters and repry hencible conduct. >> that's the part you have to look at here. we can't talk on the floor of the senate about what jeff sessions did back in the 1980s, how he worked to keep blacks from having access to the ballot box. can't talk about that as we debate his nomination to be the attorney of the united states. that's fundamentally wrong. >> it says -- >> if the truth hurts, that's all the more reason to hear it, for the american people to hear it. >> the letter says mr. session has used the awesome of his office to frighten and intimidate black voters. do you think the language was too harsh maybe. >> those were facts. and king was witness to those facts. she was eyewitness to history and she was relating what happened, what jeff sessions did, what happened during the civil rights movement. that's what she's doing here and think those facts are relevant to the question of whether or not he's fit to be attorney general of the united states. >> can i talk to y

and he didn't just silence elizabeth warren, he silenced coretta scott king. and jeff sessions was not a senator when these comments were made about him. they're comments that came in the unfortunate senate nomination for judgeship where he was rejected by a republican senate. so the idea that these words that moved a republican majority senate in 1986 are now not fit to be spoken. and she wasn't just prohibited from continuing that statement, she's prohibited from making any statement through the rest of the debate on sessions. i just didn't know that was possible. >> i just think it's profoundly stupid of mitch mcconnell. i mean, what has he done? he's shone a light on the objections to jeff sessions as essentially a racist, that coretta scott king, who is still a revered figure in this country brought up now the attention of the nation or people who are interested in politics is riveted on this. to use a cliche, the optics are horrendous, as they have been for the trump administration so far. it's almost like the disease of bad optics is contagious and now

but reading a letter from coretta scott king, that was too much? suggesting that the distinguished majority leader had repeatedly lied to the press, a comment made by a fellow republican, by the way, that was fine. reading the letter of a civil rights icon, at least to the other side, unacceptable. mr. president, just last week, i heard from a friend on the othee other side of the aisle just last week accuse me of engaging in a tear-jerking performance that belonged at the screen actors guild awards. it was only the second time that week that i had been accused of fake tears on the floor of the senate. i didn't run to the floor to invoke rule 19. but when my friend from massachusetts read a piece of congressional testimony by coretta scott king, she was told to sit down. why was my friend from massachusetts cut off when these other much more explicit, much more direct, much nastier attacks were disregarded? mr. president, there is a shocking double standard here when it comes to speech, and unfortunately it is not constrained by the four walls of t

coretta scott king was right in 1986. coretta scott king is right today. based on the totality of senator sessions' record, i have no confidence that he shares a commitment to justice for all americans. i do not believe he will fight to defend the most vulnerable in our society. i do not believe he will stand up to president trump when the time comes as it surely will come. the great robert f. kennedy and the u.s. attorney general himself once said that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists upon. we must insist that our top law enforcement officer upholds the law for all americans. i do not have assurance that senator sessions will meet that challenge. i will be voting no on senator sessions' nomination this evening, and i urge all of my colleagues to do likewise. mr. president, i yield back the balance of my time. and i question the presence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to suspend the quorum call. the presiding officer: wi

coretta scott king also wrote to the judiciary committee. a person who has exhibited so much hostility to the enforced of those laws. >> the senator is reminded that it is a violation of rule 19. >> mr. president, i don't think i quite understand. i'm reading a letter from coretta scott king. >> not what you just shared, however, you stated that a sitting senator is a disgrace to the department of justice. the senator will take her seat. >> martha: that was the scene last evening. breaking news right now, we can report that senator jeff sessions appears to have the vote, the 51 votes he needs to be confirmed by the full senate as the attorney general of the united states in the trump administration. we'll keep a close eye on that as that process continues. he does appear to have the 51 that is necessary to confirm him for that position, making him the six person to pass that threshold for the trump administration to 15 and the remaining spots of the cabinet. joining me now, dr. charles krauthammer, syndicated columnist and fox news contribut

first of all, coretta scott king is an iconic national figure. next to every great man is a great woman, and coretta scott king partnered with dr. king to help change this nation. >> no doubt about it. >> in a way that was phenomenal, and she sacrificed greatly. >> and continuing it after he was assassinated. >> absolutely, the legacy continued beyond dr. king's assassination in 1968 and she continued to carry the torch forward. and so, the fact that her words would be deemed offensive in any way, shape or form, is shocking. the second problem is that elizabeth warren is clearly being held to a double standard. senator ted cruz on the floor of the united states senate called mitch mcconnell a liar. >> on the floor? >> on the floor. >> did they call rule 19 when he called senator mcconnell a liar? >> not at all. he wasn't sanctioned, wasn't disciplined. >> even mcconnell didn't call for rule 19 when he himself was attacked as a liar on the floor? >> absolutely not. apparently, the word liar is not a dirty word in the republican dictionary, or ther

it's a letter from coretta scott king, martin luther king jr. center. that is at the top of the letterhead here for nonviolent social change. she is writing a letter to strom thurmond. she says i write to express my sincere opposition to the confirmation of jefferson b. sessions as a federal district court judge for the southern district of alabama. my professional and personal roots in alabama are deep and lasting. anyone who has the power of his office as united states attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot of the citizens should not be elevated to our courts. mr. sessions has used the awesome powers of his office and a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters, for this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with federal judgeship. i regret that a long-standing commitment prevents me from appearing in person to testify against this nominee. however, i attached a copy of my statement opposing mr. sessions' confirmation, and i request that my statement as well as this letter be made a part of the

americans are aware of coretta scott king's letter. shwas reading a historic document by an icon o the civil rights movement describing the behaviors that she observed so i think it was a vast extension, attempt to -- all the senators were allowed to read the same letter. i think there was a grave mistake made. >> what do you make of that letter, the influence on hr thinking? you may have already decided but do you think that letter is condemnatory? what would you say about that letter from mrs. king all those years ago? 31 years ago. >> i think what the letter describes was coretta scott king's view of senator sessions based upon her experience, her knowledge. i think it was sincere. it is more than 20 years old, perhaps close to 30 years old. but i think it was written with, you know, a meaningful and sincere intent by mrs. king. >> how do you think this is going to hurt or help your colleague from massachusetts? i would think this is the best thing. you know, however it happened, it seems to me mitch mcconnell, the republican leader

scott king. cnn's senior congressional reporter manu raju i live on capitol hill. manu, how did this all go down? >> reporter: last night on the floor, democrats planned to stage an all night session raising concerns about jeff sessions' nomination. they do not have the votes to stop his confirmation but they started to object in strong terms. elizabeth warren reading that letter that you referenced that suggested at the time, during when sessions was nominated as a federal judge and didn't get confirmed by the senate, that he was unfair to black voters while working in the attorney general's office in alabama. now, there was a rule in the senate that does not allow senators to impugn the integrity of fellow senators. and jeff sessions is still a senator until he gets confirmed tonight. so republicans were watching this on the floor and decided to say that warren was in violation of this rule. after warning her multiple times, she carried forward, they invoked the rule and she could not speak any

quoting coretta scott king. >> this is about coretta scott king's letter. that is all this is about. she wrote a powerful letter about a important moment in history that directly involved jeff sessions and it directly relevant to the question of whether or not jeff sessions ought to be the attorney general of the united states. and mitch mcconnell didn't want me to read that letter. he stopped me. neil: all right. well it broke decorum of the senate to say anything bad about a fellow senator. in that letter coretta scott king, widow of martin luther king, when the senator was up for judgeship, at the time he was not a senator. that his conduct was reprehensible looking at rights of black voters and should not be rewarded with judgeship. we have the niece of dr. martin luther king, jr. alveda, the reprehensible comment apparently irked many in the senate and too personal not to be repeated, three democratic senators since gone to the microphone to repeat this letter and that comment. what do you think? >> if we take a look at my aunt coretta scott king's let

>> look, the main thing is that millions of people are now reading coretta scott king's letter. it is an amazing letter. it is a letter full of passion. it is a letter full of heart and it is a letter full of advice to us. it talks about a moment in history when african-americans were beaten away from the polls. and it talked about jeff sessions role in that. and i think it has an important lesson today for all of america. i hope everybody reads her letter. that's coretta scott king's letter talking about why it is so important to have public officials who actually believe in equal rights and equal opportunities for every one of us. >> trevor: do you think you realized in that moment, and do you think mitch mcconnell realized what a solid he has done you? because i mean since that happened, just on facebook live alone, when you read the letter, it got 6 million views last time i checked, and it is everywhere and people are reading it. this is something that has helped you. >> no, what it has done is it has helped us have a better democratic conversation. you know, understand, we

i'm reading a letter from correct -- corunna scott king. larry: afterwards she said she in herot be silenced comments on the attorney general. supporters of sessions say that the allegations of racism against him are false. autria: it's the first day on the job for betsy devos, confirmed by a 51 to 50 vote. 2:00r schedule today, at address at the susan johnson education system and southwest. we will let you know what comes of the address. over the donald trump immigration order. what is changed now that a new state is in the white house? but first we have new videos creating a cleaner environment by using cleaner energy sources like solar, wind and natural gas. we've reduced carbon emissions by nearly 25%, which is the equivalent of taking close to two million cars off the road. cleaner air and cleaner water. it's good for all of us. dominion. depend on us for more than energy. did you know slow internet can actually hold your business back? say goodbye to slow downloads, slow backups, slow everything. comcast business offers blazing fast a

>> can you imagine she's reading a letter by coretta scott king, the widow of martin luther king. she's not screaming, not having a temper tantrum, reading a historical document. and for reasons completely beyond my understanding, mitch mcconnell decides to, in a country that cherishes free speech decides to shut her down. i've got to tell you, alisyn, i can't tell you i understand all the ins and outs of the united states senate. i am, after all in the house of representatives. as a political matter, if mitch mcconnell wanted to further activate an already activated democratic wing, boy did he ever do that. >> she then took to facebook and had something like 2 million views which she would never have been if she had just been on c-span. that's the upside for you guys. mitch mcconnell says she was impugning the character of jeff sessions. should he be held for things he might have said 30 years ago? >> well, the whole point of a confirmation process, and you've watched a lot of these, alisyn, is to go back into historical record to see what people have said and done and what other

in fact, she didn't just read coretta scott king's letter. she said she agreed with it. again, it's not accurately reporting when you say all she did was read the letter. she read her letter and said i agree with those remarks. >> just for point of clarity here, i didn't say all she did. she also quoted senator kennedy calling sessions a disgrace back in the 1986 hearing. that's when she was first warned and then she read the entire letter. that's the point i was making. >> so you, laura coates, listeria en to senator warren going on facebook live after being silenced on the floor and reading part of it. >> tonight, i wanted to read that letter. senator mitch mcconnell and the republicans came to the floor to shut me down for reading that letter. >> so far that video has been viewed more than 4 million times. as i said, the hash tag let liz speak is trending on twitter. laura, do you believe that this shined a light on -- an even bigger light than senator sessions, controversial past when he was up for federal judgeship and denied. >> that absolutely. when you try to sil

he stood up for coretta scott king getting the gold medal. he has been a tireless advocate of voting and civil rights tlus his career. i would just hope if she was still with us today she would share the sentiments of former senator specter. >> last two. the administration's diversity issues. you have been slammed on that recently. i understand there has been a meeting with vice-president pence talking to j.c. watts, michael steele and others. can you elaborate on that? >> there is a lot of ground swell about this hcu executive war. what's going on with that? >> the hbcu presidents will be in town. we will have further updates on the meetings that we may have with them and the activities surrounding that in terms of the administration. then i think we will have further updates. with all executive orders, we have nothing to update on that. the president has a strong commitment to them. he understands over the last eight years they have been woefully fleg glekted. wasnt to show a commitment in funding to hbcus. i think you will see not just a p

no one said it better than coretta scott king. freedom is never really won. you earn it and win it in every generation. if senator sessions won't, then it is incumbent upon the rest of us to persist. i urge my colleagues to vote no. mr. president, i yield the floor. >> we've been listening to freshman, california senator camilla harris. she was quoting coretta scott king. her letter that senator harris tried to read t was stopped . it was stopped by the senate majority leader. that vote expected this evening. let's turn to that nor'easter, expected to hit parts of the northeast. a look outside our windows at 30 rock. this is kind of hard for new yorkers to believe. >> look at these temperatures on your board. >> new york city saw a high of 62 degrees. if we didn't have modern forecasting, we wouldn't know that 58 million of you will be under winter weather advisories, with heavy amounts snoeof snow. that low really strengthens up hire. we are going to look at the system developing. you are kind of on the border out towards d.c., a little farther north out tow

those the words of coretta scott king to the senate in 1986. after reading the letter, senator warren continued speaking, but she was again interrupted. this time by senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. >> mr. president -- . >> majority leader. >> senators impugn the motives and conduct of our collie from alabama as warned by the chair. senator warren said "senator sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill free exercise of the vote by black citizens. i called the senator order under the provisions of rule 19 for to. >> mr. president? >> senator from massachusetts. >> i'm surprised the words of corona scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. amy: senator warren is prohibited now from speaking for the remainder of the debate over sessions' confirmation. after the senate passed a partyline rebuke against her. her silencing sparked immediate outrage on social media and from other senators. this is california senator kamala harris. >> the suggestion of reciting the words of the great front of scott king

. >> reporter: but republicans say one for went too far when she read a letter from coretta scott king opposing sessions' nomination to be a federal judge in 1986. >> "mr. sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens." >> reporter: her speech was cut off citing a rule which says senators cannot make disparaging remarks about a colleague. >> she was warned. she was given an explanation. nevertheless, she persisted. >> reporter: the hashtag, never the less she persisted and let liz speak began trending on twitter. senator warren will not be allowed to speak again until they take up the vote on the confirmation but the democratic colleagues are picking up the slack. other democrats began reading coretta scott king's letter on the floor wednesday morning. >> these are coretta scott king's word to chill the free exercise of the vote by the black citizens. >> senator sessions -- >> reporter: democrats have little hope of defeating senator sessions' nomination. staffers have even begun moving furniture out of his senate office in p

i thought quoting coretta scott king to the senate about that was relevant. >> republicans not backing down. many accusing senator warren of using the hearing for publicity. it was warren who was out of line. >> the bottom line is it was long overdue with her. she is clearly running for the nomination in 2020. the democratic party is being pushed really hard by the most extreme voices in their community. they just don't know how to handle it. if they empower her, the democratic party will lose its way with the vast majority of the american people. >> confirmation vote, several male senators read the same letter warren was told she could not read. they were not stopped. overnight, a protest broke out in front of senator mcconnell's home. bull horns reading the coretta scott king letter. >>> the hearing for labor nominee will now happen on february 16th. a long list of questions they want to ask andrew puzder. one reason his hearing is delayed is paper work for office of ethics was just filed last night. it shows he will step down as ceo and give up his 2016 bonus. we will ditch shares i

why was senator elizabeth warren reprimanded for reading coretta scott king's member when three male senators afterwards were allowed to read the letter? >> i was absolutely stunned to see the silencing of senator warren and by proxy the silencing of coretta king. it was selective enforcement. i have watched rule 19 which is designed to maintain the decorum in the senator where a senator can't attack another senator. the rule comes historically when they used to have fist fights in the senate and also some would come and had a little too much bourbon and would say violent, vulgar things about each other. none of that was occurring. senator warren was reading from a historic record, quoting a historic person. it was relevant, it was reasonable. i think whenever women stand up and particularly reading now a letter from a woman of color, they're told to shut up and sit down. and it was inappropriate, they've never used it, even when mitch mcconnell was called a liar, another republican senator called harry reid a cancer on the nation. they weren't silenced. then, of course, you saw the

king said no, and coretta scott king sent a letter to the united states senate which was republican-controlled, and ultimately that republican-controlled senate said no to his nomination to the federal bench. i assume at least part of the reason for that was the information contained in coretta scott king's letter. >> cornish: but the republican-led senate is planning to say yes, right? this is the discussion you're locked out of. what aspect of the attorney general's power do you think jeff sessions could use against the voters? what are you most concerned about? >> i'm -- i'm concerned about every part of it. the attorney general as the ultimate law enforcement official in the united states is the one who decides whether or not you prosecute violations of the voting rights act. he is the one who ultimately will have the one on how our immigration laws are carried out. he's the one who will make the decision whether or not the justice department is there for african-americans, whether it's there for latinos, whether it's there for women, whether it's there for people whose rights are being vi

i stand with the words of the late coretta scott king. and i stand with the many people who have contacted me about this nominee that we are debating here today, because i can tell you the day president trump announced he had picked senator jeff sessions to lead the department of justice, the phones in my office lit up. people from across my home state of washington contacted my office to express their shock, their outrage and their fear. now the calls came from people who help lgbtq youth experiencing homelessness, groups that have tirelessly advocated for necessary criminal justice reform, from families caught in a broken immigration system, civil rights advocates and community leaders who have fought for decades to create a more just society, advocates and nonprofits trying to help women escape domestic violence. the list goes on. now, mr. president, that was in november, and in the weeks and months since the president made his choice for attorney general known, those concerns have not died down. in fact, they have only gotten louder a

scott king in >> i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the unit. >>nd today. some of warren's democratic colleagues read the same letter from coretta scott king, though none of them suffered the same punishment. back to you. >> thank you for that report. back here authorities spent the morning searching for a fugitive in the east falls section of philadelphia. the s.w.a.t. team and marshals and police helicopter were surrounding the area of the dobson mills apartment of ridge avenue, searching for this man, rasheed barnes, wanted for several charges. they were not being allowed to enter the apartment complex during the ongoing search. in montgomery county crews are working to find out if gas leaked into the river in conshohocken. officials determined there was a leak and they are trying to find out if it got into the water. investigators say that a destructive house fire was struck by wire in the aernl garage. everyone got out safely thanks to a smoke alarm and the blaze cost an estimated $100,000 in damage. >>> still to come on "action news"

she was reading the words of coretta scott king. mcconnell used a rule. warren was trying to read a letter from 1986. it was a letter criticizing sessions who was a federal court nominee at the time. >> this is what it said, say all mothers, daughters, fathers, sons and brothers -- >> mr. president -- >> they are -- >> mr. president -- >> the majority leader. >> the senator is the motives by our colleague of alabama as by the claire, senator warren, quote, said senator sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens. i call the senator to order understand the provisions of rule 19. >> mr. president? >> senator from massachusetts. >> mr. president, i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. i ask leave of the senate to continue my remarks. >> is there objection? >> object. >> i appeal the ruling -- >> objection is heard. >> the senator will take her seat. >> now, according to majority leader mcconnell's staff, senator elizabeth warre

to stop elizabeth warren in her tracks while she is reading a letter from coretta scott king, to stop her in her tracks, thereby giving her all this political cred. he just gave her ---- >> she is raising money. i think they gave her her 2020 political ad when she runsy against trump. trump says -- >> bill: you say it is a destructive thing for the democratic party in the long run, that most americans aren't going to go this far left. you say that you think americans are going to -- >> i say this is gross hypocrisy. i saw with my own eyes senator ted cruz call the majority leader mitch mcconnell a liar on the floor of the senate, and i didn't see anybody raise this rule to say that senator ted cruz was violating the rules of the senate, sit down as if you are a sixth grade school child. for goodnesshe sakes. >> bill: they are different things, though. >> there are rules. >> bill: there are rules in the senate because -- before the civil war, people were caning each other. >> that is what is going to come to. orrin hatch called it the world's most deliberative, greatest deliberative bo

so, yes, #i'm with her, picture of coretta scott king, let liz speak. but this is about the attempted silencing of coretta scott king and those words. >> no, it's not. >> senators were able to read a letter today without issue. do you think it would have happened last night to a man? why senator warren? >> i think we have to ask the republicans why time -- and the senate republicans specifically -- why time and time again, they attempted, they traffic in sexism, and in some cases bigotry, if we were talking about senator sessions. >> elizabeth warren said she didn't think it was a sexist gesture. >> and that is senator warren's opinion. i think that sometimes things sound differently coming from a female voice than it does from a man's voice. and those are just the facts. some people can't take it, that coretta scott king, or elizabeth warren, or simone sanders, or anybody speaks up and has an opinion. and i definitely think what we're seeing is that this ground swell that happened yesterday is not going away. this is the energy that democrats need. and

coo scott king's words -- coretta scott king's words. >> reporter: democrats have little hope of defeating senator sessions' nomination. staffers have even begun moving furniture out of the senate office in preparation for the move to the department of justice. weijia jiang, cbs news, capitol hill. >> now on twitter, president trump said it was a disgrace that he doesn't have the full cabinet in place and he said it was the longest delay in history of our country. his full first cabinet confirmed until april 28th, 2009. meanwhile, senator warren's remarks that landed her in hot water with senators is getting a lot of attention on social media. as you might imagine. one tweets another prime example of how freedom of speech in the united states is slowly being accomplished. and one writes in part -- senate didn't shut down cruz for reading green eggs and ham but silences elizabeth warren for reading a letter. but rusty thinks senator mcconnell tweets -- did you see the lookup her face? obviously it's the first time she's ever had to shut up and sit down. we love to hear what you think, log o

. >> reporter: she was reading letters written in the '80s from the late coretta scott king opposing his bid to become a federal judge. >> i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. i ask leave of the senate to continue my remarks. >> reporter: and senator warren did just that taking to facebook live where she read the rest of coretta scott king's letter and that video has more than 3 million views. a vote on sessions' nomination expected later today. >> and despite that sessions still expected to be confirmed. maggie rulli live in washington for us, maggie, thanks. >>> betsy devos is now the nation's new education secretary. she was sworn in last night promising to be a tireless advocate for all students. >> that was just hours after vice president mike pence cast tiebreaking vote in the senate confirming devos' nomination. it was the first time ever that a vice president had to break a tie on a cabinet nomination. >>> and president sticking by his claim that the nation's murder rate is at the highest level in decades

senator bernie sanders reading that letter from coretta scott king now. you're seeing him live on the floor. is there any hope for republicans and democrats to work together during the trump years? any hope at all? we'll find out. >>> before you get to totally hopeless, check out something to brighten your day. a police officer breaking it

what warren did was try to read a letter written by coretta scott king 31 years ago. 31. that criticized mr. sessions. all it has to do with the senator prosecuting a voter fraud case in alabama while he was a u.s. attorney there. the situation involved three civil rights activists who sessions believed were committing voter fraud. the three were ultimately acquitted of the charges and mrs. king was furious with the case. again, that was 31 years ago. but last night, seeking to jeff sessions as a racist, warren brought up in the senate senates. >> the senators impugned the motive and conduct from our colleague from alabama as warned by the chair. senator warren, said senator sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the pre-exercise of the vote by black citizens. >> i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. i asked leave of the senate to continue my remarks. >> is their objection? >> object. >> i appeal the ruling. >> objection is heard. >> the senator will take her seat. >> bill: later, s

. >> warren read the decades old world of kennedy and loretta scott king from the 80s. >> i'm surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. >> reporter: some of warren's democratic colleagues read the same letter from coretta scott king on the floor that led to her sanction but none of them suffered the same punishment. abc news, washington. >>> utility rates, you told us you are getting hit with sky high bills and how leaders are taking action to protect your money. >>> an age old problem that you are familiar with. the new easy to use eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... ...and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i'm still going for my best. an

president, i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. i ask leave of the senate to continue my remarks. >> is there objection? >> object. >> i appeal the ruling -- >> objection is heard. the senator will take her seat. >> i wanted to read that letter. >> reporter: kicked off the floor, warren took to facebook reading the letter a second time. now viewed more than 8 million times. the hashtag, let liz speak. exploding overnight. >> you say these are the facts. republicans say this is disparaging. >> those are the facts and they are relevant to the question of whether or not he should be the attorney general of the united states. >> reporter: for years, sessions has adamantly defended his record. >> i am not a racist. >> reporter: we caught up with him. any response to the comments on the floor? >> no response. thank you. >> reporter: warren was silenced for speaking ill of another senator. accused of breaking an obscure rule to prevent fist fights on the floor. overnight, mcconnell defended the move. >> she was warned. she

president, i am surprised that the words of coretta scott king are not suitable for debate in the united states senate. >> senator elizabeth warren is told to take her seat during her speech opposing attorney general nominee jeff sessions and in limbo, the fate of president trump's travel ban is now in the hands of three appeal escort justices. good morning from the studio 57 news room at cbs news headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anna ree green. a state of emergency remains in effect for louisiana. which is working to recover from a string of tornados that barrelled through the southeast corner of the state. east new orleans was hit hard. in all about 20 people were injured, some of them seriously. dozens of homes and other businesses were destroyed and power was knocked out to about 10,000 customers. don champion has our report. >> clean up is under way in southern louisiana after several tornados touched down tuesday afternoon. >> we have, you know, something for the terrible blow in the city of new orleans. >> the ninth ward of new orleans which suffered extensi