For 25 hours and five minutes non-stop, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker stood on the Senate floor with no bathroom, food, or sitting breaks. He began his speech at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 1, vowing to use his time to challenge the Trump administration. To endure the marathon speech, Booker carefully prepared by limiting his water and food intake. He mentioned in multiple interviews that he dehydrated himself and stopped eating in the days leading up to it, fully aware of the health consequences. He added that being severely dehydrated helped prevent his need to go to the bathroom.
Things like this don’t regularly occur. Cory Booker surpassed the record for the longest filibuster of 24 hours and 18 minutes, set by Strom Thurmond in 1957. Yes, it has been 68 years since someone broke the record for the longest filibuster. This act was not only a personal achievement, but also a symbolic reclaiming of the filibuster; it was historically used to oppose civil rights, but now it is conversely allowing Booker to advocate for them. Technically, he didn’t actually undertake a true filibuster because he was not actively trying to stop a specific piece of legislation. The reason why Booker did this in the first place was to strongly oppose the Trump administration and stand up for those who couldn’t for themselves.
Ultimately, Booker’s 25-hour-long speech wasn’t just about breaking a record. He believed the Trump administration was ignoring and mistreating citizens and chose to use his voice in the biggest way possible. One major focus was addressing the budget cuts that threatened different minority groups. He also emphasized the fact that the reduction in housing and education assistance would negatively impact low-income communities and people of color. Booker frequently reminded the Senate of key civil rights advocates like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, comparing their fights for civil rights to the issues happening today.
His act alone is receiving very mixed opinions. The mood in the Senate was extremely varied. Some senators were entertained, while others were clearly annoyed. Some showed support and some did just the opposite. Many Democrats and progressive activists applauded his work. On the other hand, members and supporters of the Trump administration believed that it was more of a publicity stunt. For example, Deputy White House Press Secretary Harrison Fields said that Cory Booker was looking for his “I am Spartacus” moment, but claimed that it didn’t work.
Although there are many conflicting viewpoints on Cory Booker’s time-consuming speech, it doesn’t change the fact that immense effort went into it regardless of the outcome. Whether it will lead to tangible policy changes is yet to be seen, but one thing is certain: Booker’s 25-hour stand is now cemented in the Senate’s history.