“I yield for a question but I am retaining the floor,” Cory Booker could be heard saying during his speech in the Senate, which lasted a record 25 hours and 5 minutes. He remained strong throughout the night of Monday 31st March and into the following Tuesday evening, at moments emotional, but never losing stamina.
His performance was one perhaps much needed in the current political climate, while Democrats find their way forward in being an effective opposition to the Trump administration. Since losing the White House in the 2024 Presidential election and being the minority party in both congressional chambers, Democrats have no access to legislative power. Booker’s speech may initiate a more assertive opposition to Republicans as it signals a shift in strategy to counter Republicans and reach out to constituents.
Booker began speaking around 7 pm on Monday, promising to speak “as long as I am physically able,” on the Senate floor. “I rise tonight because silence at this moment of national crisis would be a betrayal of some of the greatest heroes of our nation.”
Prior to his address, Booker said on social media that he was going to the Senate floor because President Donald Trump and Department of Efficiency leader Elon Musk had displayed what he claimed to be a “complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution and the needs of the American people.”
The fourth-ranking Democrat in the chamber spent the time touching on a variety of issues faced by many Americans by castigating cuts to Social Security offices directed by Musk and reading out letters from his constituents who spoke of the effects felt from President Trump’s policies.
Booker criticised what he described as Trump’s plans to cut Medicaid funding. Although the White House has officially rejected the idea that it plans to slash Medicaid benefits, President Trump and his Republican allies have been critical of the program, along with Medicare and Social Security, often presenting claims of monetary waste and fraud.
“This would be a crisis for elder care. This would be a crisis for disability services. What it is – when a nation isn’t taking care of its elders – it’s a crisis of our national character.”
“Social security offices are being closed already. Under the guise of efficiency, but you’re hurting our elders who deserve dignity in their retirement.”
“They are trying to gut Medicaid and Medicare programs, on which nearly a third of our country rely, all to pay for those tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. This is not the first time,” Booker recalled Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cut Medicaid during his first administration, and warned about the breakdown of institutions in place to protect the wellbeing of Americans.
Although he was in the spotlight, the Senator did not act alone. Booker was supported by fellow Senate Democrats who gave him short breaks from speaking by asking him questions. Most prominently among his peers were Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachuessetts and Chuck Schumer of New York.
“I agreed to join Senator Booker for the entirety of his speech. He joined me when I launched a filibuster to demand action on gun violence nine years ago, and so I’m returning the favour tonight.” said Senator Murphy. The Senator recalled when he held the floor for almost 15 hours to argue for gun control legislation in 2016.
By yielding the floor for more than a night and day, the Senator also broke the record for longest Senate speech set by South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond in 1957. Thurmond, a southern Democrat and segregationist, filibustered the advancement of the Civil Rights Act. When Booker succeeded Thurmond the chamber erupted in applause from Democrats who had come to listen in.
Booker later told reporters that he had fasted days prior to his speech and stopped drinking fluids the night before. His staffers reportedly worked for a week beforehand to produce 15 binders with enough material to cover in his speech. When Booker took the floor he honoured the rules that apply to the filibustering process. The Senator spoke continuously for the duration of his speech, stopping only to receive lengthy questions from his Democratic colleagues. He did not sit nor leave the Senate floor.
Although Booker’s speech may not technically be considered a filibuster – to qualify for this he would have to be obstructing the passage of a specific piece of legislation – it certainly garnered a lot of attention. By 11 am Tuesday, 16 hours after Booker had begun his address, approximately 1400 callers had left messages on his office hotline, aides said.
Booker had also been streaming live on various social media sites – including TikTok, which received more than 350 million ‘likes,’ and YouTube, where 110,000 people watched as the speech came to an end.
Booker’s criticism of the Trump administration was aimed at disrupting the Republican-controlled Senate’s usual business and drawing attention to what Democrats can offer to challenge the President. His speech could create a newfound status as a leader within the Democratic party or perhaps, more importantly, embolden other elected Democrats to take similar action – whether through filibusters, town halls or protests.
