Summary:
Sen. Cory Booker is holding the Senate floor into Tuesday afternoon, as the New Jersey Democrat continues his marathon speech protesting actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Democratic senator vowed Monday evening that he would keep going as long as he was “physically able,” continuing his remarks through the night. As of noon Tuesday, he had spoken for more than 17 hours, having begun at 7 p.m. ET Monday.
Booker, who is a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, is undertaking the effort at a time when party leaders in Washington are under pressure from their base to do more to stand up to Trump. He has castigated Trump’s efforts with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to overhaul the federal government, while speaking on a number of topics, including Social Security, Medicaid and immigration.
“I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able,” Booker said at the outset of his remarks. “I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis.”
“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,” Booker said. “These are not normal times in America. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”
Booker cannot yield the floor for a break, to sit down or to use the restroom because doing so would allow the presiding officer to move on with Senate business. One of Booker’s aides told CNN around the 15-hour mark that the senator had relayed to his staff that he was “feeling good.”
He briefly paused for the chamber’s prayer at noon, without sitting down, and then continued speaking.
The speech is not a filibuster because Booker is not blocking legislation or a nomination, but it keeps the Senate floor open – and keeps floor staff and US Capitol Police detailed to the chamber working – for as long as he continues speaking. Lawmakers had concluded voting on Monday before he began his remarks.
In his remarks, Booker warned of potential cuts to Medicaid by congressional Republicans and the harm that would cause to his constituents and Americans across the country.
That’s great. So… what exactly was accomplished?
look I’m not gonna say this is bad because things like this attract attention and that can be valuable. but why not do this on the budget bill? he literally did this when nothing was at stake. why are democrats like this? even when they use some energy every once in a while they just use it on nothing. unbelievable.
So congress did nothing except talk for 25 hours straight for absolutely no reason just like last week
So, what? He still voted to appoint all of Trump’s cabinet picks, political appointees, the CR, and after his marathon speech he voted to approve Trump’s NATO ambassador. Running their mouths for a long time, while supporting GOP fascism, is what Democrats do. That, and asking for money to “fight the good fight.”
I’m no political expert, but how can this happen? Aren’t there rules / customs how long a speech can be? Or can they not have those because of 1st amendment rights?
According to the linked Wikipedia article:
The United States Senate does not limit debate unless limits have been imposed; in most circumstances, a senator who has been granted permission to speak by the presiding officer of the Senate may speak indefinitely so long as they “remain standing” and “speak more or less continuously”.
Stunning and brave.
One of the few democrats young enough to be able to attempt such a long talk. Excluding Bernie, that man seems limitless.
I can’t wait till this “Bernie is god” mentality finally goes away and we can find some young blood
Lmao! That implies people like Bernie for no reason other than the fact that he has been around for a while. Which makes zero fucking sense. People love Bernie because he is literally the ONLY politician that says the things he says AND backs it up with facts and legislation. Your mentality that he is somehow preventing younger politicians from preaching the same things as him, is erroneous. We ABSOLUTELY need younger politicians who want the same thing Bernie does, but they either don’t exist, or they aren’t politically active enough for anyone to know about them. How many dumb fucking Republicans are there? Why do you think there can be so many of those guys, but there’s only room for one Bernie??? Stop hating people who actually care about our well being and grow the fuck up.
Fact is Bernie is a loser. Great ideas mean nothing if you’re unelectable. Which he is. He can’t even win the support of the left, let alone the whole country. It also comes off as utter hypocrisy to complain about old white men in politics while cheering Bernie no?
He’s got good ideas, now put them into a young candidate. I don’t want 80+ year olds in office and I’m at least consistent with that across parties
amen.
This event is already being used for fundraising campaigns.
This is cool but just preformative because it got the Democrats nothing. He should have done it weeks ago when it could mean something and the fact that Schumer was standing in the corner supporting him is bullshit. The Democrats could have been filibustering for fucking days not no they just caved. Do this shit when it means something.
As a person of color it means a hell of a fucking lot. Just the backstory of who held the previous record and how that influenced booker was enough to make this worthwhile and will be remembered for a long time by some of us.
Yes he broke the record, but also yes, he accomplished absolutely nothing other than breaking the record…… both can be true
Strom Thurmond held the previous record for attempting to block civil rights legislation
Cory Booker broke his record for no reason other than to break the record, commendable I suppose but he accomplished nothing…. I don’t even think he was trying to accomplish anything other than to break the record
Technocrit doing their best to emulate Booker and keep this thread alive for as long as possible.
It’s sad that running out the clock / speaking pointlessly is celebrated right now. How many tax dollars is it costing to have one fellow standing around going blah blah vs getting something done?
I realize this is like a protest but MAN it would be nice to just have a functional government.
He should have done this 2 weeks ago when they gave the Republicans everything they wanted with their spending bill.
That’s nothing compared to how long dude has supported genocide.
https://www.blackagendareport.com/cory-bookers-boot-licking-butt-kissing-and-buck-dancing-zionism
What a great title from the black agenda report? What is that? I’m not gonna click on it but the title gave me a good laugh.
Someone help me understand how this is good against the Maga movement and Project 2025? To me it just seems a hollowed stance that won’t amount to anything.
It was inspiring. Many people watched and listened to him speaking the truth. This is also a blueprint for protesting in the nation: Shut stuff down. Shut down subways, buses, logistics like the postal service or trash collection. Let the country come to a grinding halt and force a change. Cause good trouble. It works.
Exactly, make the country struggle to implement fascist policy and make it suffer for doing so.
it just seems a hollowed stance that won’t amount to anything.
Yes, he’s a democrat.
The American left is fucked, no true leftist, nobody is good enough to be an ally, democrat means the same thing as conservative, any criticism from someone slightly to the right or even left of you is tossed aside cause they’re “just as bad as trump”. The American left has splintered into toxic little groups that all hate each other. Meanwhile the right is united.
As a non American leftists, many of us can attest that you guys have gone off the deep end, and it’s no surprise considering you still live within the American bubble
And a genocide supporting, Big Pharma bootlicker. Where was this passion when two Dems brought down Build Back Better. They don’t do shit when they actually have power. I wonder why that is…
All while brandishing his Israeli genocide approval badge.
Screw Democrats.
That’s what you get with a two party system, you will always have to pick between the lesser if two evils, and right now the greater of the two evils is salivating at the thought of turning US into north korea.
Better vote Democrat, and protest genocide, than to not go out and vote, because the other side is also approving genocide
That’s what you get with a two party system, you will always have
to pick between the lesser if twoevilFTFY
Better vote Democrat, and protest genocide,
LOL.
the other side is also approving genocide
Yes. They’re all the same genocidal team.
Its funny to me how both sides are equally bad to you, when one side is working to literally establish a fascist dictatorship, while the other side is trying to give people health care
the other side is trying to give people health care
I mean, they aren’t tho
North Korea? He’s clearly modeling russia!
Stepping stone
“Better vote genocide and then pretend to be against it than not vote for genocide and not be allowed to pretend to be against it”
Are you guys watching the news? I just don’t know how you can see the conversations with Trump around Gaza, and think. Yes this was the right decision. No one can question that Palestine is better off due to my inaction and inability to make a simple train decision.
I am seeing Trump do the same thing as Biden and Harris it is pretty awful.
If only people voted Green or PSL.
Good for you, you must have an incredible narrow scope of information you are working with. Must be nice.
Good for you, you must have an incredible narrow scope of information you are working with. Must be nice.
Yes trump is continuing the policies of genocide joe.
Oh okay so cutting off the food aid is okay for you? Since thousands of people of dying of bombs you wanna make sure millions die of starvation? that’s your assessment?
If you were given evidence of starvation conditions and cutting off of aid from before Trump took office would your opinions on this change at all? Like genuinely did you start paying attention when you could use it against Trump?
I always review evidence when presented to me unless it’s a Fox News source or something that’s clearly straight from Iran or kremlin. Al Jazeera is acceptable
It was always pretty damn clear that this was Israel’s endgame no matter who was in the White House.
Well congratulations because instead of thousands of them dying now you’ve got millions of them about to go hungry because the food isn’t making it there anymore.
“Better to turn Gaza into a parking lot, than send food AID to people. So after deep moral calculations we chose to support the parking lot. FREE PALESTINE???”
Food wasn’t getting in under Biden for a long stretch as well. Both parties make me vomit in my mouth a little.
Imagine being such a liberal that you believe genocide joe was sending food aid or stopping any bombs.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-aid-hamas-unrwa-biden-bcf8489c338a2f33cb4d6f0a4f7138b5
Bro we sent eight over there for decades since before you were born. Long before you downloaded TikTok and heard about the war
When will commies finally fuck off and start your own party?
Hey, our ‘progressive’ party is doing war crimes.
Oh my god, could you fucking commies shut up and fuck off???
