An editorial by Senator Rand Paul
In our dealings with the Soviet Union in
the latter half of the 20th century, a theory of how to stop a nuclear war was
known as “mutually assured destruction.” The theory went that the Soviets would
not launch a first strike knowing that a counterstrike would inflict similar or
worse damage.
Even on a smaller scale, the fallout
from a nuclear blast is severe — and it is nearly impossible to tell which way
the winds will blow and who will be affected by the fallout.
While obviously hyperbole, Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is currently threatening to launch what
congressional observers refer to as the “nuclear option” — that is, breaking
the current Senate rules to permanently curtail the rights of the minority
party by ending the possibility of extended debate and amendments on vital
pieces of legislation.
Much like any nuclear alternative,
deterrents are available if one is willing to exercise them, and the possible
dangers of unforeseen fallout exist. Today, I caution the majority leader that
I will not simply stand by and witness his destruction of the rights of
senators, nor his power grab through clear breaking of Senate rules and
precedents. I will fight back.
Currently, the Senate requires 67 votes,
a two-thirds majority, to shut down debate to change its rules.
Source: Politico
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