Democrat New Jersey Senator Cory Booker previously labeled Senate filibusters an “abuse of power” in 2022, prior to launching yesterday’s 25-hour filibuster on Tuesday — the longest in U.S. Senate history.
A filibuster is “a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question,” according to the U.S. Senate website.
Booker (D-N.J.) began his speech at 7 p.m. on Monday, going on to speak for “25 hours and 5 minutes,” highly contradicting his previous comments — when he referred to the tactic as “abuse.”
“The filibuster has been abused to stop reforms supported by the vast majority of Americans–from background checks to protecting the right to vote. We must stop this abuse of power,” Booker wrote in January 2022.
Booker’s historically lengthy speech surpassed former Senator Strom Thurmond, who previously held the record, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
The New Jersey senator accomplished the feat without “eating any food” or drinking any water for the entire duration of his speech, which helped him avoid the need to use a restroom. However, other reports have claimed that he only took a few quick sips of water throughout his speech.
“I don’t want my doctor to be mad at me, but I really spent time dehydrating myself beforehand, so I did not have to go to the bathroom,” Booker stated on Tuesday night.
“My challenge was, was that my strategy was to stop eating, I think I stopped eating on Friday, and then to stop drinking the night before I started on Monday, and that had its benefits and it had its really downsides,” he continued. “And so instead of fighting or figuring out how to go to the bathroom, I ended up, I think really, unfortunately, dehydrating myself.”
To retain the floor, Booker had to remain standing and was not able to leave his desk for the duration of his “marathon” speech.
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