Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) pulled an all-nighter, delivering a marathon speech on the Senate floor that lasted well into Tuesday morning in a push to combat the Trump administration’s policies.
Booker, a member of Democratic leadership, rose to speak around 7 p.m. EDT on Monday and was still going as of nearly 9 a.m. EDT on Tuesday as Democrats look to highlight actions by the administration and potential cuts that are being discussed for President Trump’s tax plan.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said at the start of his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
“In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy and even our aspirations as a people for — from our highest offices — a sense of common decency,” Booker said.
He spoke at length about what Democrats say are threats by Republicans to cut Medicaid and Social Security in order to fund a bill containing large swaths of Trump’s domestic agenda, in which the GOP hopes to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. The GOP has maintained that Social Security will not be touched in this effort, while any alterations to Medicaid will not include cuts for beneficiaries, but rather target “waste, fraud and abuse.”
On multiple occasions, Booker’s colleagues jumped in to give him some aid and ask questions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did so on Monday night to inquire about some potential GOP cuts.
Booker also had a Senate page take away his chair so he was not tempted to sit down throughout his speech, according to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who also joined him on the floor.
“I’m rip-roaring and ready,” he said at one point. “I’m wide awake. I’m going to stand here for as many hours as I can.”
The New Jersey Democrat at times read letters from constituents who were being affected by actions by the administrations in its opening months.
Despite the length of the speech, it is not considered a filibuster, though it could disrupt Senate business if it runs past 12 p.m. EDT, when the chamber is set to gavel in.
It also is far away from being the longest speech in chamber history. That distinction belongs to former South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmand (R), who filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
In recent history, Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) 2013 speech opposing the Affordable Care Act lasted 21 hours and 19 minutes, during which he famously read “Green Eggs and Ham” from the floor.
