Democrats in Congress are skipping votes on Monday evening to rally in front of the Supreme Court in protest of President Donald Trump‘s executive orders on immigration.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged all House and Senate Democrats to join her for a rally in front of the Supreme Court in a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter issued on Sunday. Pelosi called Trump’s executive order, which puts a temporary hold on refugees and visa holders from seven different Muslim-majority nations, “an historic injustice.”
Both Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said legislation would be introduced this week to roll back Trump’s controversial executive order.
House and Senate Democrats will gather on the steps of the Supreme Court tomorrow to protest Trump’s immigration order, Nancy Pelosi says pic.twitter.com/srAOCGQdO6
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 29, 2017
“Tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., House and Senate Democrats will gather for a press event in front of the steps of the Supreme Court to demand the President withdraw his disreputable executive order. All Members are urged to come to express our solidarity.” Pelosi wrote.
The Democratic lawmakers will be missing votes in both chambers. The House is scheduled to vote on a series of natural resources bills on Monday at 6:30pm ET.
The Senate is also scheduled to vote tonight on the confirmation of Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, former Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson.
Schumer said on NBC’s Today that he is planning to ask for a delay on Tillerson’s confirmation vote in light of Trump’s executive orders.
Schumer—who is planning on voting against Tillerson—demanded that Tillerson state his position on Trump’s executive orders before the Senate proceeds with voting on his confirmation.
Before the full Senate votes on nominee Rex Tillerson he must say where he stands on these anti-immigrant, anti-refugee executive orders.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 29, 2017
So far the White House allegedly shut out two Senate-confirmed members of Trump’s cabinet while working on the immigration order: Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Kelly sought guidance from the White House on the immigration executive order on Friday afternoon but was ignored, the New York Times reported.
Mattis only saw a copy of Trump’s executive orders on immigration and military readiness a couple of hours before Trump signed them. Trump signed the orders on Friday afternoon, immediately after Mattis was sworn in.
