Cory Booker Stays Overnight on Senate Floor to Protest Trump’s Actions

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s speech to the Senate continued overnight into Tuesday morning, as he protests actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration. Booker has said he will continue to speak “as long as I am physically able.”

The Democratic senator has been speaking for several hours, beginning his speech at 7 p.m. ET on Monday night, and the effort comes at a time when Democratic leaders in Washington are feeling pressure from their base to take more action against Trump. Booker is part of the Senate Democratic leadership team.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Booker was still speaking and had touched on a number of issues.

“I stand with the intention of continuing to disrupt the normal functioning of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able,” Booker said at the beginning of his speech. “I stand tonight because I believe our country is in crisis.”

“In just 71 days, the president of the United States has caused enormous damage to Americans’ security, financial stability, and the basic foundations of our democracy,” Booker said. “These are not normal times in America. And they should not be treated in a normal way in the United States Senate.”

This speech is not a filibuster, as Booker is not blocking any legislation or nominations. This speech by the Democratic senator will keep the Senate floor open, and also keep floor staff and US Capitol Police on duty, as long as he continues to speak, but by the time he began his talk on Monday, voting had already ended.

In his speech, Booker warned about potential cuts to Medicaid by congressional Republicans and said it would cause great harm to his constituency and Americans across the country.

Republicans have said they will not cut Medicaid, but they claim to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and propose making deep spending cuts, though it has not been clear which programs these cuts would be made from.

At one point, Booker cited the late GOP Senator John McCain, recalling his health care vote in 2017 and drawing parallels with the current situation.

“It’s crazy in this country that we’re letting the health care crisis fester and we’re not solving it, but instead we’re fighting between making small changes or completely destroying it with no plan, leaving more Americans hurting,” Booker said.

Raising his voice and speaking with emotion, Booker said, “Senator McCain, I know you would not approve this, I know you would have been screaming, I’ve seen how angry you could have been, John McCain. I’ve seen you tear into both Democrats and Republicans on this floor for doing the same stupid thing over and over again. Hear from John McCain why he voted ‘no’ the last time the Republican Party tried to destroy health care without knowing how to fix it, threatening to put millions of Americans into financial and health crisis. I can’t believe we’re here again.”

As he spoke, Booker fielded questions from Senate Democratic colleagues on various points and took short breaks. According to Senate procedure, when Booker called time for questions, he could stop speaking without losing the floor.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was the first to question his New Jersey colleague and praised Booker’s “strength and conviction.”

“You’re taking this floor tonight to raise all of these inequities that will hurt people, that will hurt the middle class and the poor, that will hurt America, our fiscal situation, as you document,” Schumer said. “Just give us a little sense of that strength and conviction — give us a little sense of that strength and conviction that led you to stay on this floor for so long so people can know how bad these things can be.”

Booker then gave time for questions to Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, noting that the Delaware senator had prayed with him on the Senate floor before beginning her speech.

“My sister came to me and prayed that I could stand longer, because she knew what we were trying to do, which was to bring good trouble to this institution, like John Lewis, with those we serve, not do the usual thing,” he said, adding that Blunt Rochester had “prayed for God to give me words of love today.”

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In recent years, long-winded speeches have been given in this chamber by several senators, including: Jeff Merkley against Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Chris Murphy on gun control in 2016, Rand Paul on National Security Agency surveillance programs in 2015, and Ted Cruz against the Affordable Care Act in 2013.

Mercedes Storm Thurmond holds the record for the longest speech, when he spoke on the floor for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.