By The Senate will remain focused Thursday on John Brennan’s nomination to be CIA director.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ken., used an old-style, 13-hour filibuster to hold up action on the nomination Wednesday. His talkathon, which ended shortly after midnight, wasn’t aimed directly at Brennan. He was demanding that President Barack Obama or Attorney General Eric Holder issue a statement assuring that drones would not be used in the United States to kill terrorism suspects who are U.S. citizens.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, also a Kentucky Republican, said he would continue to oppose Brennan's confirmation and try to keep the debate going rather than proceed to a vote. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., meanwhile, has filed a motion to cut off debate. Stay tuned.
Obama will head over to the Department of Interior early Thursday afternoon to sign the Violence Against Women Act, which strengthens protections for victims who are attacked on tribal land. He’ll be flanked by domestic-violence survivors, lawmakers, law enforcement officers and tribal leaders.
Also worth noting on Thursday: The Senate Natural Resources Committee will take up the nomination of Sally Jewell to be the next Secretary of the Interior, and gun safety bills are on the agenda for a Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting.
And then there is this: Just in case you’re ready to turn your attention to the 2016 presidential election, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute assistant director Peter Brown will hold a press conference at the National Press Club on results of a poll asking voter opinions about possible contenders.
Sources: Yahoo News’ The Ticket, Associated Press and Reuters.
