Hours after GOP leaders blocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren from reading a letter critical of Sen. Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearing for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Merkley picked it up and read the document uninterrupted.

Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a Civil Rights activist herself, wrote the letter on March 19, 1986. It was an indictment of Sessions as he was up for an appointment to the U.S. District Court.

The letter was originally addressed to Sen. Strom Thurmond, then on the Senate Judiciary Committee, against Sessions' confirmation. He was not recommended to the Senate on a 10-8 vote.

Fast forward to Tuesday, when Warren attempted to read the letter aloud but was censured by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell's silencing Warren drew sharp criticism across the internet while Merkley's move was met with applause.

This just happened: @SenateGOP censured @senwarren for reading letter from Coretta Scott King. Unbelievable. RT if you agree: #LetLizSpeak! — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) February 8, 2017

Hiding from uncomfortable truths is WRONG #LetLizSpeak — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 8, 2017

RT now if you believe it is wrong for the GOP to silence @SenWarren for trying to read a letter from Coretta Scott King. #LetLizSpeak — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 8, 2017

I can't decide if I'm glad they let Jeff Merkley read it or even more mad that IT'S APPARENTLY FINE IF IT'S A DUDE https://t.co/PB12UufYO8 — Lauren PK (@violetconflict) February 8, 2017

Ok Merkley. Coretta will not be silenced. #Sessionshearing — Aliya Rahman (@AliyaRahman) February 8, 2017

So it's ok for Sen. Merkley to quote the #letter but not @elizabethforma? Wonder why. (#PATRIARCHY) M is a great Sen but still #letlizspeak — Liz Brusseau (@LizBrusseau) February 8, 2017

Warren wasn't deterred. After she was censured, the senator from Massachusetts read the letter aloud on Facebook Live outside the Senate chambers.

During the debate on whether to make Jeff Sessions the next Attorney General, I tried to read a letter from Coretta Scott King on the floor of the Senate. The letter, from 30 years ago, urged the Senate to reject the nomination of Jeff Sessions to a federal judgeship. The Republicans took away my right to read this letter on the floor - so I'm right outside, reading it now. Posted by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The document was first discovered by Nathaniel Meyersohn, then at Buzzfeed and now at CNN, as Sessions was gearing up for another appearance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee as Donald Trump's attorney general.

Democrats were incensed that McConnell kept Warren from reading the letter even though it was already in the Congressional record. That was a major part of New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker's testimony, which you can watch below:

Sen. @CoryBooker on nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General - LIVE on C-SPAN2 https://t.co/N9qPdAy0Rf pic.twitter.com/FFLG5QzxNW — CSPAN (@cspan) February 8, 2017

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com