Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Thursday took on comments from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who said he will introduce legislation to nullify President Barack Obama’s executive actions on guns.
Appearing on CNN’s “Starting Point,” Kaine said Paul was using code language.
“And so, there are those, and as Rand Paul said, he wants to nullify,” Kaine said. “‘Nullification’ is a code word. Look at when nullification has been used. It’s been used a lot, kind of, it’s a states’ rights argument that gets used in times of great controversy. The president is acting by executive power that is legally conferred on him. And as you pointed out, you went over these executive orders. They’re basic, common sense things.”
Pressed by host Soledad O’Brien about what he meant by “code word,” Kaine said Paul was using “anti-government rhetoric.”
“We’ll see what it is,” Kaine said. “But the notion that we’re going to nullify a presidential action when the president is acting pursuant to law, you know, that’s just kind of this anti-government rhetoric that I’m surprised to hear somebody in government using.”
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