"I absolutely stand with the junior senator from Kentucky, and more importantly I stand with the American people."- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
 
"I praise Senator Paul for remaining an unequivocal champion of the Constitution and all of the Bill of Rights."- Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID)

"Politicians today seem to have forgotten that our Founding Fathers fought and died to stop the same warrantless spying that the Patriot Act authorizes."- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)
 
"Proud of Senator Rand Paul for standing up in the U.S. Senate for Liberty!"-
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.)
 
"I stand here today with the people of Montana. I stand here today with my colleague from Kentucky. Now like all Americans, I understand the great risks facing our national security... but these objectives, national security and protection of our civil liberties, are not mutually exclusive - we can and we must achieve both."- Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
 
"The battle over NSA spying cannot be ignored. We cannot stand by while government shreds our freedoms. Freedom is worth fighting for. It's worth standing up for. I am Standing With Rand."- Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI)
 
"Generalized warrants undermine our freedom, security, and liberty. This is as true today as it was in 1775. I thank Senator Paul for leading the 21st century revolution against government intrusion."-Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)
 
"Glad to see Rand Paul taking a strong stand to protect our right to privacy tonight on the Senate floor."- Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA)
 
"I am honored to stand with Senator Paul as he works to stop the warrantless searches of Americans and rein in on the Patriot Act's blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment."- Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)
 
"I want to take the opportunity to thank the senator from Kentucky for his passionate defense of liberty...the senator from Kentucky's voice has altered the debate in this chamber and has helped refocus the United States Congress and the American people on the critical importance of defending our liberty."- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

   

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Just after 1pm on Wednesday, May 20th, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) took the Senate floor to filibuster the reauthorization of the Patriot Act and the illegal and warrantless collection of personal information of millions of Americans.

Why This Is A Filibuster

Washington Post Headline: "Yes, Sen. Rand Paul's latest filibuster is a filibuster" "In the words of my Post colleague Paul Kane, 'if this isn't a filibuster, there's no such thing as a filibuster.'" - Washington Post, 5/20/15

What The Filibuster Accomplishes

"Paul likely doesn't have the votes to stop the extension. But, through his filibuster, he is delaying a vote on it." - Daily Caller, 5/20/15

 "Under Senate rules, Paul can talk until noon on Thursday. But Paul's control of the floor could ultimately have had other ramifications as the Senate rushed to finish work on a number of bills before lawmakers leave at the end of the week for their Memorial Day recess. While Paul is on the Senate floor, McConnell can't file cloture on other bills, including measures to extend or reform the PATRIOT Act." - Politico, 5/20/15

 "The move could also delay Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from starting consideration of the USA Freedom Act...This would add another legislative day to the calendar"- NBC, 5/20/15

Why Is Senator Paul Filibustering

SEN. PAUL "I've chosen to filibuster the Patriot Act because the Patriot Act is the most unpatriotic of acts. It's unconstitutional. It contravenes the Fourth Amendment, which says you have a right to privacy. The Patriot Act does not individualize warrants, it allows for general warrants, and it allows for a lower standard that can be used in our courts. This is very important and I won't stand for the Senate to shove us side and not let us debate this important issue."Filibuster Announcement, 5/20/15

"There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now and I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts, go unchallenged," Paul said at the opening of his remarks. - CNN, 5/20/15

• "Paul slammed Congress for not scheduling enough time to debate whether to reform the Patriot Act and to debate the merits of NSA surveillance. 'At the very least we should debate, we should debate whether or not we are going to relinquish our rights or whether or not we are going to have a full and able debate over whether or not we can live within the constitution or whether or not we have to go around the constitution,' Paul said on the floor."