I know many of us are yappers at heart, but how many of you could tackle the daunting marathon of a speech that New Jersey Senator Cory Booker took on in the Senate last week? Starting on Monday, March 31 at around 7 p.m. EST, Senator Booker spoke for 25 hours and five minutes, breaking the record for the longest individual floor speech delivered in Senate history. Notably, Booker broke a record previously held by Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who spoke against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours. It wasn’t a textbook filibuster, which is typically conducted in resistance to a particular bill being passed. Still, Senator Booker was certainly speaking on the floor in an unusual, extended act of resistance and a sure test of endurance.
Senator Booker spoke for over a day into Tuesday, speaking nonstop against the Trump administration’s policies, executive orders, and the chaos caused by Elon Musk’s arbitrary role in the administration. His speech falls in line with many other Democrats’ outspokenness against the same aspects of the current Trump presidency, as well as national protests against the same policies, like that of April 5 in all 50 states that shared a message similar to that in Senator Booker’s speech.
I watched a lot of Senator Booker’s impressive speech, and there’s not much ground that he didn’t cover. The Senator took no breaks aside from answering questions from Democratic colleagues like Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). He never sat down, used the restroom, or had water, and he recently described his achiness after the fact, but also claimed, “…my soul is soaring, and I feel very blessed by the whole experience,” in a recent interview with NPR’s Juana Summers.
He began the speech with the intention of “speak[ing] for as long as I am physically able,” and “disrupting the normal business of the US Senate,” to address the critical challenges facing the nation. In the early hours, he describes the current status of the U.S. under Trump, outlining a decay in upholding democratic values, and he soon turns to the topic of healthcare, namely Social Security and Medicare concerns. For hours, Senator Booker incorporated constituents’ stories in his criticism of reduced funding for these programs, illuminating the potential impact on those who rely on these benefits.
At hour eight, Senator Booker moved to focus on the Trump administration’s goals in dismantling and cutting funding for the Department of Education, sharing more experiences from teachers, students, and parents affected by such policies. He also highlighted the importance of a robust and federally supported education system that makes education both accessible and of quality. At hour 10, Senator Booker addressed the administration’s crackdowns on immigration enforcement and unconstitutional practices. At hour 14, the Senator shifted to national security concerns, noting international allies’ feelings of abandonment and adversaries further polarized, and the threats this poses for the safety of U.S. citizens. He also discussed the recent “Signalgate” scandal concerning top national security officials.
Hours 16, 17, and 18 included topics like the housing affordability crisis and homelessness, environmental policy rollbacks and climate change, and crucial issues in the agricultural sector relating to rural communities. Hours 19 through 23 included a variety of topics, like education again, student debt, inflation, press censorship, and tax cuts for the rich. Senator Booker’s voice never faltered in his delivery of the speech despite the hoarseness that crept up into the 24th hour.
At 24 hours and 19 minutes, Senator Schumer informed Senator Booker that he had broken the record for the longest floor speech and offered congratulations as the audience applauded. For the last hour, Senator Booker reflected on the purpose of his marathon speech, and continued to hark on the need for collective action to address the challenges posed by the Trump administration’s current policies. This call was addressed to both the audience of his colleagues and people watching at home, to act to defend the democratic values that are under threat.
To end this historic moment of resistance, Senator Booker leaned tiredly against his podium and returned to his initial promise of “getting in some good trouble.” With a mischievous smile on his face, he hoarsely said, “Let’s get in good trouble. My friend, Madame President, I yield the floor.” He was met with thunderous applause.
Despite its length and extensive coverage of the impacts of Trump’s policies on Americans and his constituents, Senator Booker’s message to a vast U.S. and international audience is clear: our nation is in crisis, and urgent moral action is needed from the people and our elected leaders to safeguard democracy, protect vulnerable communities, and uphold the principles of justice that are threatened by the Trump administration’s policies.