More generally, Paul has been consistent in warning about government overreach on issues related to privacy, data collection, and the Fourth Amendment. But even those who admire his philosophical disposition on these fronts said they expect Paul to fall in line in the end.

“On privacy, Sen. Paul has been a very consistent, very active legislator on ensuring that Americans’ privacy is strongly protected. So this is not some new concerns of his,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said in an interview. “Unfortunately, Sen. Paul has a history of making a big declaration about something that will change the outcome of an important vote, and then in the last days or hours before the vote, changing his position.”

Paul’s Republican colleagues, likewise, don’t seem to be nervous about his holdout. For that reason, they aren’t bothering to use valuable resources to sway him.