Sen. Cory Brooker’s marathon Senate floor speech has just broken Ted Cruz‘s filibuster speech record.
Booker, who has held the floor since about 7 p.m. ET on Monday, has just surpassed the Texas Republican‘s record of 21 hours 19 minutes.
The Context
Cruz set his record in 2013 during his filibuster against Obamacare, which expanded Medicaid eligibility. During that speech, he famously read Dr. Seuss children’s classic Green Eggs and Ham to pad for time.
While Booker’s speech is not technically a filibuster because it is not blocking legislation or a nomination, it is certainly one of the longest speeches in Senate history.
However, he still has a little way to go to beat the all-time record which was set by a filibuster designed to prevent the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, when Sen. Strom Thurmond, spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
What to know
Booker’s speech has been largely focused on criticizing the Trump administration’s policies and spending cuts.
The 55-year-old Democrat Senator from New Jersey, has vowed to keep going “as long as I am physically able.”
Since last night, he has only paused to take questions from Democrat allies, while never yielding the floor.
Helping to pad the time, Booker has been reading articles, poems, court documents, personal testimonies, and think-tank pieces.
He read the testimony of Canadian woman Jasmine Mooney, an actress who appeared in American Pie, about her experience in ICE detention. The senator also read interviews with Antonin Scalia, the conservative Supreme Court Justice, who said that all people within the U.S. are granted due process.
Booker is part of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s campaign strategy to focus on kitchen-table issues ahead of next year’s midterms.
In this image provided by Senate Television, Sen, Cory Booker, D-N.J. speaks on the Senate floor, Tuesday morning, April 1, 2025. (Senate Television via AP) In this image provided by Senate Television, Sen, Cory Booker, D-N.J. speaks on the Senate floor, Tuesday morning, April 1, 2025. (Senate Television via AP) AP
What people are saying
Schumer told Booker on the Senate floor on Tuesday, “You’re amazing we salute you, American salutes you.”
Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia representative, said in a post on X, “My friend Sen.@CoryBooker is literally standing up and speaking out—for our safety, our democracy, and our shared decency.”
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, added on X, on Tuesday, “For the past 14+ hours,@SenBooker has stood on the Senate floor sharing stories of Americans harmed by the Trump Administration’s actions – from gutting health care to defunding public education. Thank you, Cory, for your commitment to protecting the values our country was built on.”
What Happens Next
It is not clear how much longer Booker’s speech will continue for, but to break the next record, he would have to stay on the floor for another three hours.
