Washington — Democratic Senator Cory Booker delivered a record-breaking marathon speech on the Senate floor, which began on Monday evening and lasted for more than 25 hours before concluding on Tuesday night, in protest against the Trump administration’s policies. At 25 hours and five minutes, the speech now holds the record for the longest speech in Senate history, surpassing Senator Strom Thurmond’s 24-hour and 18-minute address in 1957. While many senators have traditionally utilized lengthy speeches to filibuster a bill or nomination, Booker’s speech was not a filibuster as it did not occur during the debate on a specific measure to impede proceedings. Booker, a 55-year-old who first joined the Senate in 2013 and currently serves as the fourth-ranking Democrat, commenced speaking around 7 p.m. on Monday, stating that he would continue speaking “for as long as I am physically able.” As Tuesday morning dawned and throughout the day, he persisted in speaking from the Senate floor. Booker’s office declared in a news release that he began the speech with 1,164 pages of prepared material for the occasion. He surpassed the record-breaking milestone at 7:19 p.m. ET but remained speaking until finally ceding the floor at 8:05 p.m.“The Senate chamber erupted in applause as Booker broke the record. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rose to mark the moment, saying, ‘Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you?’ Booker cited the legacy of leaders like the late congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, who stood up ‘when this country was facing crossroads, was facing crises, they stood up.’ ‘I rise today in an unusual manner,’ Booker said, before invoking Lewis’ refrain to ‘get in good trouble, necessary trouble, help redeem the soul of America.’”
“Tonight, I rise with the intention of getting into some good trouble,” Booker said at the outset, pledging to disrupt the normal business of the Senate. “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis… These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such.” More than 24 hours later, Booker was still speaking.”
The New Jersey Democrat spent some of that time reading letters from constituents who say they have been harmed by the Trump administration’s policies, and condemning the administration more broadly — from trade wars to mass firings to deportations and threats to Medicaid. Booker occasionally yielded to his Democratic colleagues on the floor, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Peter Welch of Vermont, Dick Durbin of Illinois, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, as they echoed his concerns with the administration and encouraged his effort. Still, Booker was not permitted to leave the Senate floor without risking control and continuation of his speech. He later explained to reporters that he stopped eating on Friday and stopped drinking water a day before delivering the speech to prepare for the extended time without a bathroom break. After 7 a.m. Tuesday, Booker acknowledged the 12 hours that had passed, saying he was “wide awake” and would “stand here for as many hours as I can.” At noon, the Senate briefly paused for the chaplain to say a prayer, as is required under Senate rules during a continuous session. Booker continued to hold the floor. Asked by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse how he was doing after the 17-hour mark, Booker said, “I shall not complain.”
About 23 hours in, he joked, “I, the first among us, really love to speak.” As he approached the record, Booker thanked Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut for standing by him during nearly the entire speech while recalling Murphy’s filibuster in 2016. “You stood, and I stood with you,” Booker said. “He said to me days ago, ‘if you’re going to do this, brother, I will be your aide-de-camp this time.'” Murphy marked the historic moment, noting that the previous record was set when Thurmond was fighting against civil rights and making the case for “why this nation should continue to segregate Black and White.” “What you have done here today Sen. Booker couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957,” Murphy said. “Today you are standing in the way not of progress, but of retreat.” At the 24-hour mark, Booker brought his message back to Lewis and the “good trouble” that he invoked on Monday. “This is the moment, generations get them, we’re at a crossroads here, folks,” Booker said, minutes before the record-breaking moment.Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other House members came to the floor at various intervals to observe the Senator’s speech in the rear of the chamber. They included Reps. Steven Horsford, Maxine Waters, Jonathan Jackson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Sean Casten, Steve Cohen. Booker appeared to grow emotional as he surpassed Thurmond’s record, saying he was not there because of Thurmond’s speech but “despite his speech.” Booker expressed, “I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.” Prior to Booker’s new record today, Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina delivered the longest Senate speech on record, a filibuster lasting over 24 hours in 1957 aimed at blocking civil rights legislation. Booker’s marathon speech earlier eclipsed lengthy speeches delivered in recent years, such as the 21-hour filibuster by Sen. Ted Cruz in 2013 on Obamacare and a 15-hour filibuster by Murphy on gun control.
