'Country is in crisis': Cory Booker channels Democratic frustrations in marathon speech

USA Today

25-04-2025

'Country is in crisis': Cory Booker channels Democratic frustrations in marathon speech
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Booker breaks Thurmond's 1957 record for longest Senate speech
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker broke the record for longest Senate speech, breaking Sen. Strom Thurmond's 1957 speech opposing civil rights.
WASHINGTON - Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is the latest Democrat to take a fiery stand against President Donald Trump, holding a marathon speech on the Senate floor that has stretched for more than 20 hours and takes a jab at the current administration's policies.
Booker's remarks come as Democrats have been trying to organize an effective resistance against Trump and break into the cracks of MAGA populism as the party is still recovering after a bruising 2024 election loss.
Booker, who took the floor on Monday night at 7 p.m., said that he planned to disrupt 'the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able."
More: No food or bathroom breaks: How Cory Booker is pulling off his Senate talk-a-thon
'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,' Booker said.
Around 7 a.m., exactly 12 hours later, he held up a copy of the Constitution and said, 'I'm still going strong because this president is wrong, and he's violating principles that we hold dear and principles in this document that are so clear and plain.'
Last month, several Democrats held town halls in Republican districts to make inroads with angry voters, bash the opposing party and expand their political base ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. And progressive Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has been leading the Democratic resistance online, appearing on television and speaking in podcasts.
Booker criticizes Trump and Republicans
During his speech, Booker railed against Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's sweeping efforts to downsize federal agencies, the administration's approach on immigration policy, the dismantling of the Department of Education and more.
He also read letters sent by his constituents and spoke about late Rep. John Lewis, who was a civil rights activist.
Sen. Cory Booker filibuster on Senate floor tackles spending cuts
A Senate floor filibuster from Sen. Cory Booker tackled possible government spending cuts from Medicaid to Social Security.
More: How long has Cory Booker been speaking? Senator continues marathon speech Tuesday afternoon
Booker had two glasses of water on his desk, among other things.
The late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, a Democrat-turned-Republican, holds the record for the longest individual Senate speech at 24 hours and 18 minutes for his filibuster against the 1957 Civil Rights Act, according to the Senate website.
In order to break Thurmond's record, Booker would need to speak past 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
'You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond - after filibustering for 24 hours - you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, 'I've seen the light,'' Booker said in his speech. 'No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it.'
Other lawmakers have also held long talk-a-thons, including Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz., who spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes against the Affordable Care Act in 2013.
Throughout the speech, Booker yielded to questions from several Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., giving him an opportunity to rest.
'Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has just been nothing short of amazing and all of America is paying attention to what you're saying,' Schumer told Booker on the Senate floor. 'All of America needs to know there's so many problems, the disastrous actions of this administration.'
Broader Democratic strategy to fight back against Trump
Booker's marathon speech comes as the Democratic party has struggled to find its footing and fight back against the Trump administration agenda
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who held town halls in three Republican districts represented by Reps. David Valadao, Young Kim and Ken Calvert, wrote in an MSNBC op-ed that 'Democrats cannot remain passive and squander this moment.'
'While GOP lawmakers are canceling town halls after being booed and protested, I am working alongside community leaders and advocates to build a movement with two goals: mobilize voters in swing districts and block Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and education funding,' he wrote in the article.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii., applauded Booker's efforts on Tuesday.
'Any kind of resistance is warranted, because we have a lawless administration, and we have a president who doesn't think the rule of law applies to him. So anybody using their voices and using what is available to us, I think that is important,' she told USA TODAY.