WASHINGTON — Kentucky Republican Rand Paul commandeered the Senate floor yesterday in a rare, old-fashioned filibuster, holding up confirmation of President Obama’s nominee to run the CIA.
Paul was delaying a vote to approve the president’s counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, as CIA director in protest of the administration’s policy on using drones to kill Americans suspected of terror.
Beginning at 11:45 a.m., Paul kept the filibuster up for more than 12 hours, taking only brief breaks as other senators — including Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden — took turns. He finally ended at 12:40 this morning.
Paul argued that the administration’s approval of drones to kill US terrorists on American soil is unconstitutional because they are not charged with a crime.
“I will speak until I can no longer . . . I will speak as long as it takes, until the alarm is sounded . . . that our Constitution is important, that your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone on American soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court,” Paul said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who had hoped to vote on Brennan yesterday, said he’d try again today. He’ll need 60 votes to clear the way.
Paul was joined during the afternoon by seven Republicans and one Democrat who helped him keep up the stalling tactic.
Appearing in front of a Senate committee yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the controversial issue of when the government could use drones to kill American citizens.
“The president could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force, if necessary, to protect the homeland,” Holder testified.
Paul called those words “more than frightening.”