Elizabeth Warren Slams Republicans for Trying To Silence Kamala Harris

It was a room full of Republican men, so you know the mansplaining was in full force.

North Carolina Republican Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr cut off Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) during the Senate Intel hearing Wednesday with remarkably obvious sexism that was picked up by men and women alike, prompting Senator Elizabeth Warren to make a public show of solidarity telling Harris to “Keep fighting, Kamala!”

Republicans shut Harris down as she was pressing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about giving Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump Russia probe full independence from the Justice Department, which we all can see Republicans definitely do not want to do- after all, if the Russians don’t help them win 2018 and anyone starts asking questions about how many Republicans won their seats in 2016 with the help of a foreign adversary during their cyber attack on the U.S., well that wouldn’t allow Republicans to keep ignoring the people.

Watch the boys talk down to and cut off Harris if you haven’t had your share of this at your own work today yet:

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“Senator, I’m very sensitive about time and I’d like to have a very lengthy conversation and explain that all to you,” Rosenstein responded to Senator Harris.

“Can you give me a ‘yes or no’ answer?” Harris demanded.

“It’s not a short answer, Senator,” Rosenstein smirked.

“It is. Either you are willing to do that or you are not,” Harris replied.

Senator John McCain didn’t like that, so he cut off Harris, objecting, “Mr. Chairman, they should be allowed to answer the question.”

“Are you willing or are you not willing to give him the authority to be fully independent of your ability, statutorily or legally, to fire him?” Harris pressed, trying to get an actual answer on a key matter. “Yes or no, sir. Are you willing to —”

“Will the senator suspend?” Burr interrupted, before beginning his lecture about “courtesy”.

“The chair is going to exercise its right to allow the witnesses to answer the question, and the committee is on notice to provide the witnesses the courtesy, which has not been extended all the way across, extend the courtesy for questions to get answered,” Burr chastised Harris.

“Mr. Chairman, respectfully, I would point out that this witness has joked, as we all have, his ability to filibuster,” Harris replied.

“The senator will suspend!” Burr demanded, cutting Harris off. “Mr. Rosenstein, would you like to thoroughly answer the question?”

So that was fun. Girls, you must be courteous when dealing with matters of national security. Perhaps the ladies might wish to bring some muffins in for the next hearing, instead of asking questions that lack the proper amount of courtesy.

Here’s Warren’s show of solidarity with Harris, who was one of three women on the panel today:

Just a few of the men who noticed:

Republicans interrupt witnesses and speak with contempt to them constantly, so their objection to Harris’ line of questioning and not being courteous enough is odd. Whatever they can do to keep the Russia investigation from moving forward as it should, they will do.

If being courteous is a new qualification for Senators, someone better tell Republicans post haste.

Image: Sen Kamala Harris, ABC News screen cap



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