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U.S. presidential candidate and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was filibustering to block renewal of a section of the Patriot Act. Above, Paul spoke at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, May 16, 2015. Reuters/Jim Young

Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator and 2016 presidential candidate, started a filibuster Wednesday afternoon on the Senate floor to block the renewal of a section of the Patriot Act, the controversial domestic spying program that expires at the end of May. Watch a live stream of his act here.

A familiar tactic to Paul, a filibuster is when a Senator speaks nonstop on the Senate floor in order prevent a bill from being brought to a vote. In 2013, to protest the administration's policy on drones, Paul talked for nearly 13 hours in a filibuster that briefly prevented the Senate from confirming new CIA director John Brennan.

This time around, Paul may be hoping his filibuster will bring him a bonus: free media coverage for a presidential candidate competing in a crowded field, as the Los Angeles Times reported. Paul has also said he would do "everything humanly possible" to prevent the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, CNN reported.

Paul's filibuster began at 1:18 p.m., as TIME reported.

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