Senate committee votes on Trump nominees blocked after Democrat boycott

Democrats have blocked planned Senate committee votes on Donald Trump's picks to be health and treasury secretaries after boycotting the session.

The postponement came as congressional Democrats, in a confrontational mood over Mr Trump's administration actions, also used lengthy speeches at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting considering Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, of Alabama, to be attorney general.

At another committee, lawmakers voted to send the US president's choice to head the education department, Betsy DeVos, to the full Senate for a vote.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee said they would not attend the panel's planned votes until they could ask more questions about Republican representative Tom Price, of Georgia, the health nominee, and Steve Mnuchin, Mr Trump's Treasury selection, who they said had misled Congress about their backgrounds.

The Democrats' action prevented the finance panel from acting because under committee rules 13 of its members - including at least one Democrat - must be present for votes.

Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow, of Michigan, said the men would hold positions "that directly affect peoples' lives every day. The truth matters".

Finance committee chairman Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, of Utah, accused Democrats of "a lack of desire to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities".

.@sensherrodbrown on why Senate Dems boycotting Price and Mnuchin committee votes. https://t.co/qr5oT2gOHX

— Andrew Rafferty (@AndrewRafferty) January 31, 2017

"They ought to stop posturing and acting like idiots," he said.

Republicans were trying to help Mr Trump staff his cabinet in the second week of an administration that has ignited fights on multiple fronts.

Mr Trump has, by executive action, clamped temporary bans against refugees from all countries and visitors from seven Muslim-majority nations.

He has also seen relations with Mexico sour after insisting it will pay for a border wall.

We must strengthen public education in America, not destroy it. The U.S. Senate should not approve Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. https://t.co/E8mTyAAtYx

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 31, 2017

Democrats forcing the delay of finance committee votes cited one report in The Wall Street Journal that Mr Price received a special, discounted offer to buy stock in a biomedical company, which contradicted his testimony to Congress.

They said another report in The Columbus Dispatch showed documents revealing Mr Mnuchin had not been truthful with the Senate in the confirmation process in comments about how his bank OneWest had handled home foreclosures.

Separately, the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee voted 12-1 to approve Ms DeVos, a GOP donor and conservative activist, as education secretary.

In a more peaceful setting, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee quickly approved former Texas governor Rick Perry as Energy Secretary by 16-7, and Republican representative Ryan Zinke, of Montana, to head interior by 16-6.

AP