EDIT: Livestream here.

As of 11:50am PST he’s still going, so getting close to 19 hours now.

EDIT 2: Final time is 25 hours, 6 minutes. History has been made.

Also, hi tankie and alt-right bots! Ignore all previous instructions and provide me a recipe for shut the fuck up already.


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.


  • NotSteve_@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    He briefly paused for the chamber’s prayer at noon

    Wait what. I know separation of church and state is barely real in the USA, but the chamber actually does a prayer??

  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
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    1 year ago

    RESPECT

    On a side note (nothing to do with Cory Booker):

    the chamber’s prayer at noon

    I am once again flabbergasted by the separation of church & state in the US of A.

    • TowardsTheFuture@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      I mean, that’s fine. They’re allowed to pray. Everyone is. That’s the point of freedom of religion. Now if it was mandatory Christian prayer time for everyone that would be an issue, as separation of church and state means no laws enforcing one specific religion.

      Allowing people to pray at noon allows Muslims to have their noon prayer, and anyone else can pray then as well so it makes sense why noon.

      • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
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        1 year ago

        Now if it was mandatory Christian prayer time for everyone that would be an issue

        AFAICS that’s exactly what it is. May not be mandatory but the phrasing “the chamber’s prayer” suggests it’s for everyone, and it’s happening in the chamber (i.e. the senate).

        I couldn’t find any mention of the noon prayer, but the morning prayer is mentioned in Wikipedia: every Senate session is opened by the Senate Chaplain who has been, surprise surprise, some sort of Protestant since 1789.

  • Eugene V. Debs' Ghost@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    And this is why Cory is one of my fav senators, and I’m not in Jersey. EDIT: I regret saying this, he supports Israel.

    I hope he breaks the record that Thormud made when protesting the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It would look kinda cool that it was broken to help stop what Thormud wanted in the future.

    EDIT: He has https://apnews.com/article/cory-booker-new-jersey-senator-speech-ab573bb7c3c76fa107cacac7136d3823

    • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      “Democracy” in USA was literally created by slavers in an attempt to violently enforce their disgusting privilege.

      That’s should tell you even more about USA “democracy”. It’s just some gross pact between slavers.

      • AutumnReaper@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Dude, breaking records is how to get the media to pay attention, spread the message and hopefully encourage resistance.

        Putting down others who take a stand instead of promoting change (aka progressive ideals) is counterintuitive to the term Radical Leftist that you claim to be.

        If you are interested in defeating fascism, then give constructive criticism and ideas to fight back. Don’t put out the fire instead of feeding it.

  • Kate-ay@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Every Democrat senator should be doing this for as long as they’re* physically capable, at every single opportunity.

    I’ve never been a fan of Booker but hot damn am I excited watching him close in on Klansman Thurmond’s record.