Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has now spoken for over 24 hours straight on the Senate floor, continuing his marathon speech into Tuesday afternoon to protest actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Booker vowed to keep going “as long as I am physically able.” By 7 p.m. Tuesday, he had hit the 24-hour mark, making it the second-longest Senate speech in history, according to the Senate historical office.
Booker’s speech comes amid growing pressure on Democrats to take a stronger stand against Trump. With Democrats out of power in Washington, they’ve struggled to find a unified approach to counter the administration. Booker’s lengthy address stands out as one of the boldest protests from a Democratic lawmaker during Trump’s second term.
The speech has delayed Senate business throughout Tuesday, though Booker isn’t blocking any specific legislation. Instead, his extended remarks have kept the Senate floor open and active.
Booker made it clear from the start why he was speaking out. “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able,” Booker said. “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis.”
He argued that Trump’s actions in just 71 days had already done “so much harm to Americans’ safety, financial stability, and the core foundations of our democracy.”
During his speech, Booker raised alarms about cuts to essential programs like Medicaid. Though Republicans have claimed they aren’t cutting Medicaid, they’ve proposed deep spending cuts, leaving uncertainty about which programs will be affected.
At one point, Booker reflected on the late Sen. John McCain’s pivotal vote against efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017. He said, “It is maddening in this country to create greater and greater health care crisis and for us not to solve it but to battle back and forth…leaving more Americans suffering.”
Speaking with emotion, Booker added, “Sen. McCain, I know you wouldn’t sanction this, I know you would be screaming…I can’t believe we are here again.”
Booker’s effort has been met with praise from many of his Democratic colleagues. He thanked Sen. Chris Murphy, who stayed with him overnight to offer support. Booker recalled that it was now his turn to repay the favor after Murphy’s own long speech in 2016 about gun violence.
As Booker continued, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised his colleague’s strength. “You’re taking the floor tonight to bring up all these inequities that will hurt people…hurt our fiscal conditions,” Schumer said.
Throughout the day, Booker was joined by other Democratic senators, who showed their support by offering words of encouragement, hugs, and even discussing sports. Booker also spoke of the prayers offered by his colleague, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, as he prepared for the long hours ahead.
“I want to create good trouble, like John Lewis,” Booker said, invoking the memory of the late civil rights icon. He said that Blunt Rochester had prayed with him before the speech, asking God to give him the words of love needed to carry on.
Marathon speeches aren’t new to the Senate. In recent years, other senators have taken the floor for extended remarks, including Jeff Merkley in 2017, Rand Paul in 2015, and Ted Cruz in 2013. Cruz, who spoke for over 21 hours in 2013, jokingly advised Booker, “Wear comfortable shoes and don’t drink water.”
Booker, however, is following in the footsteps of another senator—Strom Thurmond, who holds the record for the longest speech in Senate history, having spoken for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 in an attempt to block the Civil Rights Act.
Booker didn’t shy away from invoking Thurmond’s name during his speech on Tuesday. “You think we got civil rights because Strom Thurmond…came to the floor one day and said, ‘I’ve seen the light.’ No,” Booker said. “We got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it, and John Lewis bled for it.”
