Carrying on a long tradition of silencing women who stand up for human rights, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cited Senator Elizabeth Warren's recitation of civil rights leader Coretta Scott King's letter as justification to invoke a rarely used Senate rule that prohibits senators from “impugning” their colleagues. After the Senate voted along party lines to officially silence Warren, McConnell sought to justify their actions by stating: "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” Since the incident, Warren’s male colleagues read the same letter withoutsuch consequences. McConnell’s words have since become a rally cry for millions of women who know what it is to have been silenced and ignored.
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