Democrats are using an obscure Senate rule to delay the committee vote on attorney general nominee Jeff 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. Sessions is expected to be approved by the panel.
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.
Friends Read Free