Paul began his filibuster at 11:47am local time, and he was going strong more than two hours later, recalling the classic "talking filibusters" of old. PHOTO: FILE
But some of the Senators could have been forgiven for thinking that Senator Rand Paul was resorting to rhetoric and phraseology when he said that he would "speak until I can no longer speak." They never figured that the Tea Party member would continue on a 13 hour tirade.
Paul demanded answers from President Barack Obama on the secret unmanned aerial drone program that has emerged as the most contentious element of John Brennan's nomination to head the spy agency.
The issue of John Brennan’s appointment and the Obama administration’s guarded has gained further currency on Capitol Hill with senators from both parties pressing US Attorney General Eric Holder for more details on whether the administration believes such attacks could be justified.
His oratory held up any other Senate action as he railed against US policy on targeted killings from 11:47am local time Wednesday until 12:39am local time Thursday - a total of 12 hours and 52 minutes.
During the marathon delaying tactic, Paul said he would be happy to yield the floor "if the president or the attorney general will clarify that they are not going to kill non-combatants in America."
Paul had threatened to filibuster Brennan's nomination as early February 13, when he demanded answers from the administration about the president's power to authorise lethal force.
Holder responded Tuesday, stressing that while Obama had "no intention" of ordering drone strikes on US soil, the scenario could be possible if there was an "extraordinary circumstance" such as an attack similar to 9/11.
Paul described the refusal to comprehensively rule out such a strike as "more than frightening," then took to the floor Wednesday to describe the policy as an "abomination."
"When I asked the president, can you kill an American on American soil, it should have been an easy answer.... It should have been a resounding and unequivocal 'no,'" Paul said.
"The president's response? He hasn't killed anyone yet."
"Is that enough? Are we satisfied by that?" Paul asked.
And he insisted that his critique was not partisan. "Were this a Republican president I'd be here saying exactly the same thing."
He finally yielded the floor after midnight, to a round of applause.
"I've discovered that there are some limits to filibustering and I'm going to have to take care of one of those in a few minutes here," he joked.
Paul later said he hadn't planned the move ahead of time.
"My legs hurt, my feet hurt, everything hurts right now," he told reporters afterwards. "I didn't wear my most comfortable shoes or anything. I would have worn different shoes."
Brennan's nomination easily cleared the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, despite fury from leading Republican lawmakers at what they said was a lack of disclosure over last year's attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including US ambassador Chris Stevens.
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