Rand Paul: Harry Reid Is "The Dictator Of The Senate"
WOLF BLITZER: Senate Democrats have now pulled the trigger on what's called the nuclear option in a dramatic and historic move just moments ago. The Senate voted to change the rules of the United States Senate making it easier to end filibusters. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, say his took the action because of republicans blocking President Obama’s nominees. Republicans, however, call it a power grab and a smoke screen to shift focus away from Obamacare. Let’s discuss what's going on. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is joining us from Capitol Hill. We just heard Harry Reid make the case for this historic decision. I want to get your reaction. Go ahead, senator.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: I think what we really need is an anti-bullying ordinance in the Senate. I mean, now we've got a big bully, Harry Reid says he's just going to break the rules and make new rules. Never been done this way before. Typically you have to have a two-thirds vote to change the rules and there has to be consensus and there's tradition. But he's breaking the rules to get his way. Meanwhile, we have a bill right now, we have several amendments lined up, but he's disallowing amendments. He’s got to have everything his way; he's got to control everything. This is more about them trying to control the agenda and shift it away from Obama care than it is anything else.Â
WOLF BLITZER: He makes the point that you, the republicans, have blocked the nominations of three potential judges on the U.S. district court of appeals in Washington, D.C., for no reason other than you don't want the president to have these nominees in place, they would be influential judges for many years to come. These are lifetime appointments. And he says this is totally unfair on the Republican part.
PAUL: Well, it's untrue what he's saying because, frankly, the argument using is the same argument that he and the democrat minority argued in 2006, when they said the case load for the D.C. circuit has dropped so precipitously that what we really need is to transfer judges to other circuits that are busier, what we offered to do, which is a compromise. He's saying I’m in charge, I’m a bully, I’m going to get my way or change the rules. Never been done. He’s breaking with hundreds of years of precedent to do this. In doing so he's causing more discord and disharmony here, and there will be more dysfunction, I think, because of it.
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