Strom Thurmond Senate speech record broken for first time since 1957
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - History was made on Capitol Hill on Tuesday as New Jersey Senator Cory Booker broke the record for the longest speech in Senate history.
This record was previously held by South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond.
Booker began his marathon speech on Monday and tore into what he called the Trump istration’s grave and urgent threat to the country.
His final time was 25 hours and four minutes which beat Thurmond’s record of 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act in 1957.
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“There’s a room here in the Senate named after Strom Thurmond,” says Booker. “To hate him was wrong, and maybe my ego got too caught up that if I stood here, maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of a man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand. I’m not here though because of his speech. I’m here despite his speech. I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.”
Booker had to remain standing and never left the floor for a bathroom break during the speech.
Other Senators helped by asking questions which allowed Booker to take a moment to rest.
The speech was not considered a filibuster because Booker was not blocking legislation or a nomination.
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