After nearly half a day of standing at a lectern on the Senate floor, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul took a seat this morning, and likely a much needed restroom break. Senate rules state that in order to retain control of the floor, the legislator must not sit down or leave the hall for any reason.
Beginning at 11:47 a.m., ET, Wednesday, Paul began his intentional vociferous delay of President Obama's appointee for CIA director, John O. Brennan. Paul said he would hold up the nomination of Brennan, formerly the White House's chief counterterrorism advisor, until the president publicly addressed comments by his attorney general, Eric H. Holder, Jr., who stated his belief that it was entirely within the confines of legality to execute drone strikes on American soil without warning.
"This is a long, drawn-out day, but it's to try to get some answers," Paul announced, as Wednesday turned to Thursday on the House floor.
House Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada democrat, was not amused by Paul's antics. He interrupted the Republican to inquire why Paul would not just allow the chamber to vote and go home. Paul, who early in his speech, criticized the membership of both parties for not standing up for the interests of the American people, soon gained verbal bipartisan support.
When he saw Paul needed to take a break from speaking, first-term Texas republican Ted Cruz posed a question in the form of a lengthy statement to Paul in order to maintain the floor but allow Paul to pause momentarily.
"It was more than a little astonishing that the chief legal officer of the United States could not give a simple ... answer to the question 'Does the Constitution allow the federal government to kill with a drone strike a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil who does not pose an immediate threat?'" Cruz later noted that on the fourth time questioning Holder, the attorney general answered, responding weakly in the negative.
The act, which was both widely supported for its merits and originally criticized for being one-sided, was given its initial bipartisan support around sunset when Oregon democrat Ron Wyden '"posed a question" to spell Paul for a few moments.
"The issue of American security and American freedom really doesn't get enough discussion here in the United States Senate and it's my view that the senator from Kentucky has made a number of important points this day," he said.
However, Wyden was a vocal minority in his party as Reid occasionally broke in and Illinois Democrat Richard Durbin offered what was seen by some as a sarcastic rebuttal to Paul's statements. Durbin asked Paul whether under his philosophy, Osama bin Laden would be able to be targeted by a drone strike as he said the terrorist's group may not have been considered to pose an "immediate threat."
Durbin's Prairie State counterpart, republican Mark Kirk at one point offered a light snack to Paul as he spoke. When it was clear Paul was becoming somewhat hoarse from speaking at length, Florida Republican Marco Rubio quipped, "[you should] keep some water nearby!" Rubio has been previously criticized by detractors for reaching off-camera for a drink while offering his televised response to President Obama's State of the Union address.
Some have said that the issue on which Paul concentrated would indeed draw bipartisan support, while others assumed backing would fall along party lines. In addition to Wyden, comedian Jon Stewart, known for cartooning high-profile republicans like former Vice President Dick Cheney, voiced support in a segment on "The Daily Show" covering the first "good old fashioned actual talkie filibuster" in quite some time. He admitted he did not often agree with the Kentuckian but stated that "Drone oversight is definitely [an issue] worth kicking up a fuss for!"
Holder responded Thursday morning to the roadblock in the administration's appointment.
"I think there is going to be a greater effort at the transparency. A number of steps are going to be taken. I expect you will hear the president speaking about this."
Paul's filibuster, which lasted almost 13 hours, increasingly drew more senators' support in its waning moments. Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and conservative rising star, South Carolinian Tim Scott, offered breaks to Paul late into the night. In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Paul finally ceded the floor back to Reid.
The most recent verbal filibuster was held by Vermont Senator Bernard Sanders (I), objection to extension of the so-called "Bush tax cuts." Paul's dialogue fell about 11 hours short of the record held by former Palmetto State Senator J. Strom Thurmond's 24-hour rebuttal to hold up the Civil Rights Act of 1957. According to the Business Insider, the republican took a steam bath to dry out his body and had aides waiting in the wings with buckets in case he had an "emergency." Paul only had Kirk's offer of fruit at his disposal.
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