The U.S. Senate has voted to approve Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, a lifelong executive with Exxon Mobil. The news did not sit well with about 30 students as Sandy Hausman reports:
Students from UVA, Virginia Tech, Mary Washington and George Mason occupied the office of Senator Mark Warner before the vote, chanting "Virginia’s seas are rising, Warner’s compromising."
Claire Wyatt warned that a secretary of state with strong ties to fossil fuels would not work to reverse climate change.
“My college campus at the University of Virginia is seething with the energy of a generation of young Virginians who, today, Warner intends to betray," she said.
"In the next few hours, Senator Warner is about to vote yes on sea level rise for Virginians, and if he intends to do otherwise, let Warner come here and set the record straight!”
A staff member offered to meet with the group, although she said the phones were ringing and the office was working triple overtime.
“We've got thousands of passionate people like you calling in right now. Yesterday, we cleared 9,000 constituent opinions," she recalled. "The day before that 9,000 constituent opinions. I can’t have you shut down our front office.”
When students insisted on talking with the senator himself, she called police. The protestors left and were later disappointed to learn Warner had voted in favor of Tillerson. Senator Tim Kaine vote no.