Sen. Booker 25 Hours Record Filibuster!
This is in no way official. I just want to make sure these moments are never forgotten.
And maybe i can amplify the amazing thing he did for us even if just a little.
Thank you Sen Booker!!
- # 49) A Standing Ovation in the Senate When Booker finally surpassed Thurmond’s 68-year-old record, the Senate chamber exploded in applause. In a body known for decorum, this was highly unusual—spontaneous clapping on the Senate floor is virtually unheard of. 🧵
- # 49) A Standing Ovation in the Senate When Booker finally surpassed Thurmond’s 68-year-old record, the Senate chamber exploded in applause. In a body known for decorum, this was highly unusual—spontaneous clapping on the Senate floor is virtually unheard of. 🧵
- # 49) A Standing Ovation in the Senate When Booker finally surpassed Thurmond’s 68-year-old record, the Senate chamber exploded in applause. In a body known for decorum, this was highly unusual—spontaneous clapping on the Senate floor is virtually unheard of. 🧵
- # 68) A New Legacy for the Longest Speech Booker’s achievement stands in stark contrast to the previous record-holder’s aim. Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster was a bid to deny Black Americans equal rights. 🧵
- # 67) Not Technically a Filibuster Interestingly, Booker’s marathon speech was not, in the strict sense, a filibuster. *“Filibuster”* in Senate rules means attempting to delay a specific vote—but Booker wasn’t blocking any bill. 🧵
- # 66) The Final Steps When it was finally over—when Booker uttered his last lines and voluntarily yielded the floor—he had trouble even moving. The 55-year-old former football player limped off on stiff legs, assisted by colleagues. 🧵
- # 65) A Deliberate Pace Booker spoke in measured tones to conserve energy. At times, he slowed his cadence or read documents (like letters) to rest his voice. Still, the sheer amount of words was immense—transcripts ran over 100,000 words. 🧵
- # 64) Never Sitting, Even During “Breaks” Importantly, even during those Q&A “breaks,” Booker had to remain standing. *“They usually cannot be forced to cede the floor… without their consent,”* the Senate rules say, *“but the speaking senator must remain standing.”* So Booker stood at 🧵
- # 63) Tag-Teaming with Allies One clever way Booker endured was by occasionally yielding for questions from friendly senators. Under Senate rules, a speaker can pause if another senator asks a question—but Booker had to remain standing and could reclaim the floor after answering. 🧵
- # 62) “Not Much Gas Left” By Tuesday afternoon (approaching 20 hours in), Booker did acknowledge, *“I don’t have that much gas in the tank.”* He said this in response to a colleague’s light-hearted query. Indeed, he looked weary. 🧵
- # 61) Second Wind of Passion Strikingly, as fatigue set in, Booker’s voice grew stronger with emotion. By Tuesday evening—hour 24—viewers noted his voice was not weaker but more impassioned. He channeled the energy of the moment to drive him. 🧵
- # 60) Staying on His Feet Observers saw Booker shifting from foot to foot and leaning on his podium at times to relieve the strain. He would stretch one leg, then the other, subtly, to keep blood flowing. He occasionally gripped the podium to steady himself. 🧵