On September 20, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was carrying out the normal business of any U.S. Senator, delivering a speech on the Senate floor. Most speeches on the floor go without much fanfare. Some are posted by Senators’ communications teams on social media; few go viral.

But Paul’s speech on September 20 did manage to turn heads. On the Senate floor, Paul vowed to not support any measure to avoid a government shutdown that contained further aid to Ukraine. “I will not consent to any expedited passage of any spending bill that provides any more American aid to Ukraine,” the Senator from Kentucky said. Establishment leadership, Paul claimed, was “saying the only way government stays open, the only way we avoid a shutdown, is by shuffling more, shoveling more, taxpayer dollars to Ukraine.”

“They’re going to link keeping the government open with more money to Ukraine and I’m here to say that I am not going to agree to it and I will not let them shut down the government simply because they want to send more of your hard earned tax dollars to Ukraine. Either the American people fund an endless war in Ukraine or the Uniparty threatens to shut down the government. This is a clear dereliction of duty, and I will not stand for it.”