Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul told Fox News Friday that he intends to hold up the confirmation of John Brennan unless President Barack Obama promises to not kill Americans using “hellfire missiles” on U.S. soil.
Brennan is Obama’s nominee to head the CIA. Sen. Paul wants the White House to give clear answers on whether the administration believes it has the authority to conduct drone strikes domestically.
“What we’re talking about is not killing someone with a grenade launcher on their shoulder. We’re talking about someone eating at a cafe in Boston or in New York and a Hellfire missile comes raining in on them,” Paul said on “Happening Now.”
“There should be an easy answer from the administration on this,” he went on. “They should say, ‘Absolutely, no, we will not kill Americans in America without an accusation, a trial and a jury.'”
“And I’m not talking about people engaged in lethal force. I’m talking about people sitting in a cafe having coffee,” Paul said. “People like this are being killed around the world. We should not do this in America, and it’s inexcusable that the administration will not answer, ‘Absolutely, no, we will not do this.'”