Cory Booker Sets Senate Record with 25-Hour Speech

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Cory Booker Attacks Trump Policies in Marathon Speech

By Web Desk

Washington, April 1: Democratic Senator Cory Booker delivered a historic, marathon speech, on the Senate floor, speaking for a record-breaking 25 hours and five minutes. His speech attacked the Trump administration’s policies.

Booker’s speech, which began Monday evening at approximately 7 p.m. and concluded Tuesday night at 8:05 p.m., surpassed the previous Senate record held by Sen. Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957.

While Senate history includes long speeches as tools for filibustering bills or nominations, Booker’s address was not a filibuster, as it did not occur during a debate on any specific measure. Instead, the speech served as a protest and a platform for Booker to voice concerns about Trump’s policy decisions.

Booker, 55, has served in the Senate since 2013. He’s currently the fourth-ranking Democrat, committed to speaking “for as long as I am physically able”.

Armed with 1,164 pages of prepared material, he continued uninterrupted through the night and into Tuesday, garnering attention from both colleagues and the public.

At 7:19 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Booker officially set the record for the longest Senate speech. However, he continued for nearly another hour before finally yielding the floor at 8:05 p.m.

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His speech covered a wide range of topics, including voting rights, healthcare, and economic justice, aligning with his broader efforts to challenge policies he views as harmful to American communities.

The Senate chamber erupted in applause as Booker broke the record, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rising to mark the moment.

“Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you?” Schumer said.

Booker cited the legacy of leaders like the late congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, saying that at pivotal moments in history, these figures stood up against adversity.

“I rise today in an unusual manner,” Booker said, invoking Lewis’ call to “get in good trouble, necessary trouble, help redeem the soul of America”.

“Tonight, I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble,” Booker declared at the outset, pledging to disrupt the normal business of the Senate.

“I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis… These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such,” he said.

To prepare for the extended session, he later revealed to reporters that he had stopped eating on Friday and had ceased drinking water a day before the speech to avoid requiring a bathroom break.

By 7 a.m. Tuesday, Booker acknowledged the 12-hour milestone, declaring that he was “wide awake” and would “stand here for as many hours as I can”. At noon, the Senate briefly paused for a chaplain’s prayer, as required under Senate rules during a continuous session, before Booker resumed speaking.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse checked in on Booker around the 17-hour mark, asking how he was holding up. “I shall not complain,” Booker replied.

Nearly 23 hours in, he quipped, “I, first amongst us all, really love to speak.” As he approached the record, Booker expressed gratitude to Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut for standing by him throughout the speech, recalling Murphy’s own filibuster in 2016.

“You stood, and I stood with you,” Booker said. “And he said to me days ago, ‘If you’re going to do this, brother, I will be your aide-de-camp this time’,” he said.

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Murphy marked the historic moment by contrasting it with the previous record-holder, Thurmond, who had used his 1957 filibuster to oppose civil rights legislation. “What you have done here today, Sen. Booker, couldn’t be more different than what occurred on this floor in 1957,” Murphy said. “Today, you are standing in the way not of progress, but of retreat,” said Murphy.

At the 24-hour mark, Booker once again invoked Lewis and his call for “good trouble”. “This is the moment—generations get them—we’re at a crossroads here, folks,” he said, just minutes before setting the new record.

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