After 25 hours and 5 minutes, history was made, and a new record was set by Cory Booker, a New Jersey Senator.
Beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 31, Booker took to the Senate podium. He announced that he would hold the Senate floor for as long as he was physically capable. Booker was technically not filibustering since he was not trying to stop a singular piece of legislation. Instead, his time speaking was classified as a marathon speech. His goal was to simply disrupt normal Senate business.
“I rise tonight because to be silent at this moment of national crisis would be a betrayal, and because at stake in this moment is nothing less than everything that makes us who we are,” Booker said.
To prepare for this feat of determination, he began fasting on Friday night as Senate rules require that the speaker can’t sit or leave unless they wish to yield their time. Booker could not eat or go to the bathroom during the 25 hours. He also had to speak continuously unless asked a question by a fellow legislator.
Booker came prepared with 1,164 pages of material. He shared over 200 stories from New Jerseyans and Americans all over the country. The personal testimonies served as a very real reminder that the decisions the Trump administration is making directly impact the livelihood and well-being of real people.
In one particular letter Booker received, the individual had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which is the same illness his own father suffered from. The constituent explained that the illness impacted how much they will be able to work and expressed concern for cuts in social security.
“I know so many Americans who live in fear every day that one little thing will happen to them that will destabilize their financial well-being,” Booker said. “They have a president that talks down to them [and] lies about the services that they rely on.”
Throughout the speech, Booker cautioned the American people against the Trump administration’s reckless actions and the blatant disregard for the laws and institutions that govern our nation. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to stand up for the Constitution and make sure our president knows he is not a king.
His message was one of unity, and he encouraged people to engage in respectful conversation with those of differing beliefs. It is not the time to toe party lines and shut off communications with the other side.
This is the moment where Americans must cross the political divide and stand for the good of the country against a man who has no idea what the checks and balances system means.
“Let’s be bold in America, not demean and degrade Americans, not divide us against each other,” Booker said. “Let’s be bolder in America with a vision that inspires. With hope that starts with the people of the United States of America, that’s how this country started.”
Unrelentingly standing and speaking for 25 hours is not the efforts of a man who thinks the country is a lost cause. Booker is a man who cares deeply for the American people and believes in what America could be. His love for the country is nothing short of the very definition of patriotism.
“If America hasn’t broken your heart, then you don’t love her enough,” Booker said.
His speech amassed a major following on social media as millions of Americans tuned in. By the end, he had more than 350 million likes on his ongoing TikTok live video. He had more than 28,000 voicemails of support left on his main office line.
The speech was not only impactful, but it was also incredibly significant due to the previous record holder’s intentions. Before Booker, the record was held by Strom Thurmond, a Senator from South Carolina. Thurmond’s filibuster in 1957 was in opposition to the Civil Rights Act. The fact that Booker, a man of color, broke Thurmond’s record is almost poetic.
Booker concluded his marathon speech with a call to action to the American people, urging them to act and not to pretend like everything is okay. He pleaded with them to redeem the soul of the nation.
“This is a moral moment,” Booker said. “It’s not right or left; it’s right or wrong. Let’s get in good trouble.”
