Bring back the drone debate, Sen. Paul

By Tobias Gibson
April 21, 2015 | The Hill

When Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) declared his candidacy for the presidency, I will admit to having a certain excitement. In part, this feeling is based on the opportunity he offered to literally blanketmyself in the Constitution. Another is the opportunity to read a political comic book — but the real reason is that he clearly embraces his willingness to be a voice of concern about American use of drones. In other words, Paul’s campaign offers the most likely possibility that discussion and debate around the U.S. counterterrorism, military and diplomatic use of drones will reemerge. Despite the fact that the drone debate has quieted dramatically in the recent past, there are several reasons why the American populace needs to reengage with this important policy space prior to choosing our next president.

Paul’s history with questioning the use of drones as a tool of foreign policy is well-documented. There is the 13-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s director of the CIA confirmation, in which he took the Obama administration to task for including American citizens on the drone “kill list” without adequate due process. In January on CNN — in what may be a look toward his proposed domestic policy regarding drones — Paul suggested that were a drone to fly over his home, “they better beware, because I’ve got a shotgun.” While extreme, this position seems to have its supporters.

Paul’s candidacy offers the opportunity to renew debate and discussion inside the Beltway and among American citizens about drone use. Here are some of the more important issues, as I see them…

Gibson is an associate professor of political science at Westminster College in Missouri and a National Security Network (NSN) fellow. The views expressed here are not necessarily the views of NSN.

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Photo Credit: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) speaking with supporters at a reception before the SXSW conference in Austin, TX. [Gage Skidmore, 3/14/15]