By JM Rieger and Niels Lesniewski and Sarah Chacko

Sen. Rand Paul contested the nomination of David J. Barron to be a First Circuit appeals court judge as well as the Obama administration’s use of drones for targeted killings of Americans during a 31-minute floor speech Wednesday. The Kentucky Republican faced an objection to a unanimous consent request to delay Barron’s confirmation, and following Paul’s morning remarks Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., took the floor in support of Barron while criticizing the Obama administration for its resistance to providing Congress with memos outlining its legal basis for carrying out acts of war. “It’s unfortunate that it took Mr. Barron’s nomination for the Justice Department to make these memos public,” Wyden said. “I believe that every American has the right to know when their government believes it is allowed to kill them.” The Senate later voted to limit debate on Barron’s nomination to a seat on the Boston-based court, 52-43.