Senator Cory Booker has broken the record for the longest speech in Senate history after speaking for more than 25 hours in protest against Donald Trump and his government.
Starting at 7pm local time on Monday evening, the New Jersey senator never took a break or sat down as he smashed the previous record held by South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Because Booker’s speech was not blocking a nomination or legislation, it was not a filibuster, but that didn’t make his marathon effort any less impressive or historic.
Booker was cheered by colleagues on the floor and people in the public gallery as his marathon address came to a close after 25 hours and four minutes, the Guardian reports.
He finished by saying: “This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right. It’s right or wrong. Let’s get in good trouble. Madam President, I yield the floor.”
The senator had started his speech by vowing that he had the “intention of getting in some good trouble” and “disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.”
He said he believed the US was in crisis and that these are “not normal times” for the country, which is facing “grave and urgent” threats to its “people and democracy.”
From this point on, Booker went on a tour de force, displaying anger, emotion, passion and fight as he spent more than a day highlighting to his political allies, political opponents and the country exactly what Donald Trump – and his ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk – were doing to the US.
He read out many letters from “terrified people” with “heartbreaking” stories, and admitted his Democrat party were largely to blame for allowing Trump to gain power again.
But Sen. Booker urged the American people that they had power in this fight as well, using the example of the civil rights movement when it was the people who rose up.
He said: “This is not who we are or how we do things in America. How much more can we endure before we, as a collective voice, say enough is enough? Enough is enough. You’re not going to get away with this.”
Democrats praised him for his effort, providing a rare beacon of light and hope for a floundering party in crisis at the moment.
On several occasion, he allowed questions for colleagues, and the sentence “I yield for a question while retaining the floor” will be associated with the senator for the rest of his career.
After he was approached the Senate record held by Thurmond, who was a staunch segregationist, Booker said: “I’m not here because of his speech. I’m here despite his speech. I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful.”
In a post on X following his record-breaking effort, Booker reiterated his point that Democrats and the people “must speak up” in the fight against Trump’s administration.
He wrote: “I may be tired and a little hoarse, but as I said again and again on the Senate floor, this is a moment where we cannot afford to be silent, when we must speak up.
“What’s most clear to me tonight is that this is just the beginning, that Americans across this country, no matter their title or party, are ready to be heard.
“I believe that history will show we rose to meet this moment. It will show we did not let the chaos and division go unanswered.
“It will show that when our president chose to spread lies and sow fear, we chose to come together, to work together, and to rise together.”
By the end, Booker had shown his party that they do have the power to do something in resistance against Trump’s government.
He was an example to his party and its supporters – the Democrats must not let his efforts go to waste.
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