Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has broken the record for the longest speech ever delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate, surpassing a 1957 filibuster by Strom Thurmond that had stood for nearly seven decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booker began speaking at 7 p.m. on Monday and continued into Tuesday evening, reaching 24 hours and 19 minutes at 7:19 p.m.\u2014just one minute past Thurmond\u2019s mark. He ultimately yielded the floor at 8:04 p.m. ET, concluding a total of 25 hours and 4 minutes of uninterrupted remarks. As he finished, the chamber erupted in applause and cheers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a moral moment,\u201d Booker said in his final remarks. \u201cIt\u2019s not left or right, it\u2019s right or wrong.\u201d He ended by addressing the presiding officer: \u201cMy friend, Madame President, I yield the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booker later returned briefly to thank Senate staff, clerks, and doorkeepers, acknowledging that he had kept them awake throughout the night. The gesture drew further applause from those present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The speech, delivered as a form of protest, focused on President Trump\u2019s proposed budget cuts to federal agencies. Booker described the moment as a \u201cnational crisis\u201d that required endurance and moral clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The senator had vowed to speak as long as he was \u201cphysically able,\u201d and spoke without interruption, using the opportunity to appeal to fellow lawmakers and the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booker\u2019s feat now tops a list of historic Senate speeches known for their length and impact. Strom Thurmond famously spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 in a controversial effort to block the Civil Rights Act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2013, Senator Ted Cruz spoke for 21 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Affordable Care Act, delivering one of the longest speeches in modern Senate history. Cruz\u2019s remarks included extended monologues, readings of children\u2019s books, and criticism of both parties, drawing widespread media attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n