Let me preface this by saying that, yes, I know that this was not technically speaking a filibuster. For something to be considered a filibuster, it must be an “attempt to delay or block a vote on a piece of legislation or a confirmation,” according to the Brennan Center for Justice. But, to many Americans, “filibuster” simply means “a senator talking for a while.” Which Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey did on March 31, 2025.
Senator Cory Booker commanded the eyes of all Americans as he took to the Senate floor, speaking for 25 hours and 5 minutes, consecutively — without breaks for the bathroom or to eat, mind you — in what is effectively considered a “long speech.” Senator Booker live-streamed this record-breaking feat on his YouTube and on TikTok, the latter gaining over 350 million likes in a massive show of support for a Democrat taking the reins and not rolling over. Perhaps he heard Gen Z’s favorite new phrase, “Ref, do something,” and decided to actually do something. Booker used his time to call out the Trump administration, reading aloud letters from his fellow constituents and world leaders to voice their concerns, ranging from immigration, health care, the economy, education, foreign policy, and more.
Senator Booker spoke with empathy and passion, visually tearing up when the topic of Parkinson’s gets brought up in a letter from a voter, saying: “‘Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disease that progresses over time.’” Composing himself, he interjects, “Sorry, I’m thinking about my dad.”
It’s incredibly validating as an American citizen to watch a politician, one elected to represent the people, give a voice to the people, feeling the same anger we feel, using his platform to enact the change we beg for daily. Someone hears us, and he is able to speak coherently for an unfathomable amount of time on some of the biggest issues facing our country today. This is unlike Senator Ted Cruz, who initiated a 21-hour filibuster in an effort to federal budget bill to defund the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) and spent a good portion of his time on the floor re-reading Green Eggs and Ham. No, Senator Cory Booker spoke from the heart (and from his notes).
But all of this compounds with the record-breaking nature of this speech. In the year 1957, Senator
Thurmond of South Carolina spoke for more than 24 hours in an attempt to prevent the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Can you imagine having that much hate in your heart — or that much love for the status quo and segregation — that you would speak for more than a whole day against racial equality? This remained the longest-lasting filibuster in the United States’ history, until Senator Cory Booker broke the record. How incredibly monumental for a black man to take this spot over a racist. He deservedly received raucous applause when this was pointed out on the floor, as well as when he “‘[yielded] the floor.’”
I feel that it is important to point out that I do not agree with all of Senator Cory Booker’s stances. Still, instead of demanding perfection, I am choosing to celebrate this breakaway from respectability politics. We demanded action, and we received it. Now, we can only hope that more senators follow suit, answering the calls of those who voted for them, and standing up against the rising threats of fascism and authoritarianism within our country.