One Year Anniversary of Sen. Paul's Filibuster

Press Release

One year ago today, at 11:47 a.m., Sen. Rand Paul took to the Senate floor to lead an active filibuster of President Obama's nominee for Director of Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan. Sen. Paul spoke for 13 hours on the legality and constitutionality of the U.S. government using lethal force, including drone strikes, on Americans and in U.S. territory. The next day the Attorney General reversed the Administration's previous position and declared that the government does not have the authority to use such force in a non-combat situation.

Prior to the filibuster, Sen. Paul sent three inquires on the matter to President Obama's nominee, John Brennan. Sen. Paul finally received responses from both Mr. Brennan and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on one item of inquiry. Attorney General Holder stated in a letter to Sen. Paul dated March 4, 2013: "It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States." The U.S. Attorney General's refusal to rule out the possibility of drone strikes on American citizens and on American soil led to Sen. Paul's 13-hour filibuster.

Senators who participated the filibuster include: Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Pat Roberts (R-Kans.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Sen. Paul also received support from Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and many colleagues from the House of Representatives.

Following the historic 13-hour filibuster, Sen. Paul's repeated correspondence to President Obama's nominee to be CIA director, John Brennan, was finally answered, in part, with the following response from Attorney General Eric Holder: "Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil? The answer to that question is no." This was a rapid reversal and a major concession by the Executive to adhere to the basic Constitutional protections.

"One year ago today, I took to the Senate floor to filibuster in defense of the Bill of Rights. We prize our Bill of Rights like no other country. Our Bill of Rights is what defines us and makes us exceptional. Yes, the filibuster was about drones, but also about much more," Sen. Paul said. "Do we have a Bill of Rights or not? Do we still believe in trial by a jury of our peers, individualized warrants issued by judges, and due process or not? Much has happened since my filibuster, including revelations of mass-scale spying on American citizens by the National Security Agency. While I am pleased with the progress on domestic drones, the struggle to assert and defend our rights against a government that so blithely ignores them is much nearer the beginning than the end. I will keep standing for those rights, and as more and more Americans stand with me we will begin to take our rights back."

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