Republican presidential hopeful Rand Paul is gearing up for a major fight against the U.S. Patriot Act this Sunday.

The Kentucky senator released a statement revealing that he plans to force the expiration of the controversial surveillance bill by refusing to allow Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a debate on whether or not it should be renewed.

"I will force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program," Paul said in the statement, which was published on Politico Saturday.

Sen. McConnell and proponents of the bill want to renew the powers of the Patriot Act, which expires on June 1, by passing the USA Freedom Act, a bill that was designed to prevent the NSA surveillance program from collecting Americans' phone records. Although the House passed the USA Freedom Act by an overwhelmingly majority earlier this month, critics say that the bill includes several loopholes and vague clauses that could potentially allow the NSA to continue to collect a lot of information, and would do little to curb the NSA's surveillance policies.

According to Paul, the USA Freedom Act would actually expand the Patriot Act, which is why he vows to prevent the Senate from moving to final passage on Sunday.

"I have fought for several years now to end the illegal spying of the NSA on ordinary Americans," said the Libertarian-leaning senator. "The callous use of general warrants and the disregard for the Bill of Rights must end. Forcing us to choose between our rights and our safety is a false choice and we are better than that as a nation and as a people.

"Tomorrow, we will come back with just hours left before the NSA illegal spying powers expire," he said.

"I am ready and willing to start the debate on how we fight terrorism without giving up our liberty."