Starting at 7 pm on Monday, March 31st, Corry Booker took the Senate floor, planning to speak for as long as he physically could to protest the Trump Administration’s actions. Booker broke the record for the longest speech ever given on the Senate floor, beating our previous record holder, Strom Thurmond (who was attempting to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957). Booker talked with no food or bathroom breaks for 25 hours and 5 minutes.
What is a filibuster? A filibuster is when one or more people in a legislative body stand up and speak with the intention of delaying or blocking a vote (or decision) from taking place. When looking at the broader history of filibusters in the United States, there is a clear pattern of them being weaponized against civil rights bills, actions, and votes. You can thank Aaron Burr for the creation of the filibuster. When he abolished the need for a motion to stop a Senate debate, this left the floor open to unlimited senatorial debate leading up to a vote. Since no vote was in motion when Booker took the floor, his marathon speech was not technically considered a filibuster.
However, that didn’t stop Booker from preparing 1,164 pages of material for his speech. He opened with, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” Booker stood up and channeled the late Senator and civil rights champion, John Lewis, who was famous for his “good trouble” sentiment. Good trouble was Booker’s goal, aiming to sound a warning on Trump’s detrimental polices. In his 71 days in office, Trump has made countless, unprecedented executive orders. Not only has Trump slashed budgets, DEI, and research funding, but he is now threatening Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Booker stood up for the 73 million people who receive Social Security checks and advocates for the voices of those 40 million who rely on these checks as their only source of income. To make his speech more impactful, Booker read stories from his constituents and Social Security employees. “Crisis of character” is the only way Booker could describe the way the Trump administration is disrespecting and mistreating its elders and citizens in need.
Not only did Booker call out Trump’s reckless actions, but he also asked Americans to question how it’s affecting them. “Are you better off than you were 72 days ago economically?” he asked. Trump ran on a strong platform of ‘lowering the price of milk and eggs for Americans,’ and yet prices continue to climb as the stock market plummets. Booker urged people to understand that without substantial change, the wealth gap will grow, the cost of eggs will rise, and the threat of recession will loom at large.
Toward the final hours of his speech, Booker urged every viewer, every American who is unsatisfied, unhappy, or scared with our current administration, to take action. Booker, despite being one of the top-ranking Senators, understands that, in his minority seat, he can only do so much. The power is in our hands, the power is in the hands of the people. “This is a moral moment where more Americans need to stand up and say enough is enough”. Booker begged people to look at the lack of morality in our administration and stand up to it. At a time where hope is bleak, and many feel powerless against the near-authoritarian regime, Booker reminds us that we have a voice, and we must use it.