Politics

Pelosi did not watch Paul’s filibuster: ‘Life is too short’ [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
Font Size:

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she was not able to watch Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s almost 13-hour filibuster, saying there are “certain things that fall into the category of life is too short.”

“I don’t know enough about him to know if he’s even on the Intelligence Committee. But suffice to say all of us, every one of us, rank and file, Democrats — I mean Senate — House and Senate — we all have to take votes on certain measures,” Pelosi said on Thursday at her weekly press briefing.

“So we all have to have enough information to make an informed vote, whether it’s about the budget of our intelligence and security agencies or whether it is about the policies that spring from those budgets.”

When asked if she watched Paul’s floor speech, Pelosi said, “There are certain things that fall into the category of life is too short. I myself had, what, four speeches to make last night? I was doing my own thing, you know? I have my own responsibilities.”

Paul held the floor to block a vote on John Brennan’s nomination as head of the CIA over the Obama administration’s claim that they have the authority to kill Americans on U.S. soil with drone strikes.

His filibuster is one of the longest in history.

“What I share is the concern we all have that Congress have sufficient oversight over the executive branch when it comes to issues that relate to the security of our country, or any issue, for that matter. But this is where the great coming-together that our country and our founders experienced in their own time — because they were always under threat, witnessed the War of 1812 — and the challenge to balance freedom and security,” Pelosi said on Thursday.

“I don’t think that the administration has any intention of using drones in the United States against American citizens or otherwise. So I don’t have that fear. But I do support and have been a fighter for, whoever the president is, the — a Congress being informed and having sufficient oversight over the actions they might take in relationship to the balance between freedom and security.”

Follow Nicholas on Twitter