Prairie State Wire

Tensions rose between Republican Senators and Democrat Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) on the Senate floor during the questioning of President Joe Biden's appointee for assistant attorney general, Kristen Clarke. 

According to an April 18 report from Next News Network, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) was growing frustrated while questioning Clarke about police shootings of black people because she allegedly was refusing to answer the question when Durbin interrupted the dialogue, telling Cotton to "just allow [Clarke] the opportunity to respond."

"Would you please stop the pattern of interrupting?" Cotton responded. "This happened the last time we had a hearing. You called a vote in violation of this committee's rules."

Durbin apologized and said he would offer the senator additional time for his questions and said he would like to see Clarke given a reasonable chance to answer completely.

"I've asked her a simple yes or no question multiple times," Cotton said, "and she has refused to answer it. Thank you for your input, though."

A similar encounter happened with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who accused Clarke of attempting to filibuster after Durbin interrupted to ask Cruz to give Clarke some time to answer. 

"I'm going to ask questions, and I am going to expect answers to the questions I ask," Cruz said. 

Durbin said he wished members of the committee would be respectful. 

Cotton is a junior senator and has served Arkansas since 2015. Before that, he served in Congress and in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In March 2020, Cotton accused Durbin of working behind closed doors instead of with Senate Republicans. 

The Arkansas senator alleged that Durbin, among other Democrats, refused to come to the floor to debate the federal stimulus package and instead demanded cash for Illinois and Chicago from a distance.