Paul filibusters to block new CIA director

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While new Senate rules would only require him to make the statement that he will not agree to a date for voting, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul decided to do a filibuster the old fashion way. He took to the floor and literally just wouldn’t stop talking for five hours. He literally opened his lengthy speech by saying, “I will speak until I can no longer speak.” He snacked on candy during the dinner hour and at another point another Republican senator brought an apple and some tea to his desk so he could continue talking. Aides brought him water as he continuously paced across the floor. He made this move in order to block Senate confirmation of Obama’s pick for the new CIA director, John Brennan. More specifically, he was demanding a promise from the Obama administration that the CIA would not authorize the use of drone strikes on US soil.

He spent much of the time reading articles about the expanded use of the unmanned weapons under President Obama.  By the afternoon, six republicans and one democrat had joined Paul’s filibuster. Paul was able to catch his breath by yielding long enough to allow other senators to ask questions, but did not relinquish the floor for the full five hours.

While the filibuster certainly delayed Brennan’s confirmation, it doesn’t appear to have prevented it.   Democrats still assert they have the majority necessary to break the filibuster and confirm Brennan.

The last time such a filibuster occurred was in 2010, when Independent Senator Bernie Sanders spoke for 8 ½ hours in an effort to block a proposed budget plan.

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