WASHINGTON – Senator Cory Booker delivered the longest-recorded floor speech in Senate history on Tuesday, surpassing the record set by segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond in 1957. Booker commenced his speech at 7 p.m. on Monday evening to voice his opposition to President Donald Trump's policies.
At 7:19 p.m. on Tuesday, Booker exceeded Thurmond's record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, which Thurmond set while speaking against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, a significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
Although Senators frequently delivered lengthy speeches in the 19th century, the exact duration of these speeches is not definitively recorded, according to the Senate Historical Office's list of the longest Senate speeches dating back to 1900.
Booker explained that he embarked on the marathon speech because Democrats have a "responsibility" to take a different approach in response to the unprecedented changes occurring in the initial months of Trump's second term as president.
"I've been hearing from people all over my state and indeed all over the nation calling upon folks in Congress to do more," Booker shared in a video posted before his speech. "To take actions that acknowledge the urgency and crisis of the moment."
Booker expressed his intention to continue speaking as long as he is physically able to do so. He must remain standing and stay on the Senate floor without taking a break for a restroom visit; otherwise, he would forfeit his right to hold the floor. If he remains on the floor without sitting or leaving, no senator can halt his speech.
The Democratic base has been urging lawmakers to be more assertive in opposing the Trump administration's actions, which include dismantling or significantly reducing federal agencies, implementing extensive deportation measures, and reshaping the dynamics among the three branches of government.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has encountered calls for primary challengers and protests outside his residence after voting with Republicans to keep the government operational. In other instances, constituents have confronted Democratic officials at town hall meetings, imploring them to be more forceful in their opposition to Trump.
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