WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today voted to invoke cloture on President Obama's nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to serve as Secretary of Defense. Following that vote, which failed to invoke cloture, Sen. Rand Paul released the following statement regarding both Sen. Hagel's nomination and that of John Brennan, whom the President has nominated to serve as the director to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

"I tend to believe that the President should be entitled to some leeway on his nominees. That is why I voted in favor of Sen. John Kerry, with whom I largely disagree on foreign policy, to serve as Secretary of State.   However, I also believe there are standards in both policy and background that go beyond mere disagreement and go to the suitability of the nominee to perform their job," Sen. Paul said. "That is why I have placed a hold on the nomination of John Brennan to serve as director of the CIA  until he answers the question of whether or not the President can kill American citizens through the drone strike program on U.S. soil."

"That is also why I voted to not end debate on the Hagel nomination. I do not believe Sen. Hagel has adequately explained his activities and their financing since he left the Senate, and I believe this criteria is especially important when dealing with the revolving door between government and the private sector," he continued.

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