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.


    • ziggurat@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 day ago

      That’s what you get with a two party system, you will always have to pick between the lesser if two evils, and right now the greater of the two evils is salivating at the thought of turning US into north korea.

      Better vote Democrat, and protest genocide, than to not go out and vote, because the other side is also approving genocide

      • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        1 day ago

        “Better vote genocide and then pretend to be against it than not vote for genocide and not be allowed to pretend to be against it”

        • TronBronson@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          1 day ago

          Are you guys watching the news? I just don’t know how you can see the conversations with Trump around Gaza, and think. Yes this was the right decision. No one can question that Palestine is better off due to my inaction and inability to make a simple train decision.

            • TronBronson@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              1 day ago

              Oh okay so cutting off the food aid is okay for you? Since thousands of people of dying of bombs you wanna make sure millions die of starvation? that’s your assessment?

              • bishbosh@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                1 day ago

                If you were given evidence of starvation conditions and cutting off of aid from before Trump took office would your opinions on this change at all? Like genuinely did you start paying attention when you could use it against Trump?

                • TronBronson@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  1 day ago

                  I always review evidence when presented to me unless it’s a Fox News source or something that’s clearly straight from Iran or kremlin. Al Jazeera is acceptable

                  • bishbosh@lemm.ee
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    21 hours ago

                    What about:

                    Reuters

                    BBC

                    or IPC 1 2

                    or when aid trucks were bombed by Israel

                    or the ICC Judge that issued arrest warrants for “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024,”

                    I am not asking if you would ‘review’ the evidence. I am asking if you would change your opinion. Because what I replied to was you saying:

                    Oh okay so cutting off the food aid is okay for you? Since thousands of people of dying of bombs you wanna make sure millions die of starvation?

                    So my point is to ask, is cutting off food and bombing aid trucks so millions can die of starvation okay with you if they do it while wearing a blue tie?

            • TronBronson@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 day ago

              Well congratulations because instead of thousands of them dying now you’ve got millions of them about to go hungry because the food isn’t making it there anymore.

        • TronBronson@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          1 day ago

          “Better to turn Gaza into a parking lot, than send food AID to people. So after deep moral calculations we chose to support the parking lot. FREE PALESTINE???”

      • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        1 day ago

        That’s what you get with a two party system, you will always have to pick between the lesser if two evil

        FTFY

        Better vote Democrat, and protest genocide,

        LOL.

        the other side is also approving genocide

        Yes. They’re all the same genocidal team.

        • ziggurat@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          1 day ago

          Its funny to me how both sides are equally bad to you, when one side is working to literally establish a fascist dictatorship, while the other side is trying to give people health care