Edit: Since publishing, Senator Cory Booker’s hold has concluded. He spoke on the Senate floor for over 25 hours without sitting or taking bathroom breaks. The only time he stopped speaking was to yield for questions from Democratic colleagues.
The marathon speech is now the lonest in US history.
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) delivered an overnight speech on the Senate floor, protesting policies backed by President Donald Trump.
Booker began speaking Monday evening at 7 p.m., saying he would continue for as long as he was “physically able.”
More than 18 hours later he remains at the podium, periodically yielding to Democratic colleagues for questions while maintaining control of the discussion.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”
The senator criticized cuts to government programs by DOGE, tax policies favoring the wealthy, and other actions taken under the Trump administration. He read messages from constituents expressing concerns about the future of Social Security, healthcare and the economy.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Booker on the floor earlier in the morning, reading social media posts from New Jersey residents who supported the effort. Other Democratic senators, such as Chris Murphy (D-CT), participated in the discussion, following a strategy used in previous protests.
Democrats have used prolonged speeches in the past to delay confirmations or draw attention to policy issues. Earlier this year, led y Senator Murphy, they spoke for 30 consecutive hours against the confirmation of Russell Vought, an author of Project 2025, to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Booker isn’t new to this. In 2016, Senator Murphy held a 15-hour speech on gun control, with Booker supporting him throughout.
Though Senator Booker’s tactic is similar to that of a filibuster, it is not technically a traditional filibuster since he is not employing it to block a specific piece of legislation.
The longest filibuster in Senate history remains Strom Thurmond’s 24-hour, 18-minute protest against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Booker, 55, is serving his second term in the Senate. A former mayor of Newark, he ran for president in 2020 but ended his campaign before the primaries. His national profile grew during his tenure as mayor, where he helped secure a $100 million donation from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg for Newark’s public schools.
By Tuesday morning, Booker showed no sign of ending his speech, reaffirming his commitment to challenging what he described as an ongoing crisis.
“No business as usual,” he said. “We are here to make the case.”
He remains on the floor currently.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.