After losing all three branches of government in the recent 2024 election, Democrats have been frustrated with their voices being withheld. Frustrated not only with the Trump Administration, but the lack of assertion from congressional democratic leaders as well.
But U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey found a way to let their voices shine through.
On March 31, Booker led the senate floor to a record-breaking speech — 25 hours and 5 minutes long. Not only did he address personal complaints from New Jersey citizens, but the length of his speech holds great historical significance. It surpassed the filibuster of Strom Thurmond, a senator from South Carolina, when he tried to stop the Civil Rights Act of 1957 from passing. Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes solely with the intention of degrading people of color in our country.
Booker, an African American man himself, has worked his way up to this high level position and has been serving as a senator for 12 years now. He talked briefly about the shadow of Thurmond.
“To hate him is wrong, and maybe my ego got too caught up that if I stood here, maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand,” Booker said. “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 didn’t use any of his minutes to degrade the past segregationist; alternatively, he gave praise back to the people who fought against Thurman. This is reflected within his speech; the goal being to give voice to the people of America.
“I’ve been hearing from people all over my state and indeed all over the nation calling upon folks in Congress to do more, to do things that recognize the urgency, the crisis of the moment,” Booker said in his introduction.
Senior Inhye Sung emphasized how Booker’s speech was based on individuality.
“The fact that he was so determined to get all of our voices out there, I know he did a lot of individual stories about how Trump’s laws and his ruling are affecting people in this country, so I think it was really inspiring that he did that for us more than himself,” Sung said.
Democrats have been concerned about several of Trump’s actions; deporting and incarcerating immigrants without due process, Elon Musk’s department of government efficiency, the dismantling of several government programs, education, healthcare, social security and a variety of other issues.
The public has been especially concerned about the unlawful treatment of immigrants without due process- whether it is grad students speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict and being detained, or alleged criminals being sent back to home-country prisons without trial.
Booker’s argument included references to the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments; if Trump continues to go against our constitutional principles and brush off federal judge orders, will rights be taken away from not only immigrants but US citizens as well?
Andrew Merritt, teacher at State High for both AP US Government and AP Comparative Government, analyzed Booker’s speech in both of his classes.
“What he’s trying to do is draw attention to what many people in America think is a move away from our ideals. And what I was really pleased with him was that he used constituents – his citizens wrote him letters talking about the problems they were facing, and how they were not addressing them. And then he used the Constitution, he used the Declaration of Independence…like if you’re going to do a filibuster, this is the way it’s supposed to be done,” Merritt said. “He finished with a line from the Declaration of Independence…that they were making a united nation when creating this country – not a republican nation, or a democratic nation,” Merritt said.
“This is not right or left. It is right or wrong. This is not a partisan moment. It is a moral moment,” Booker said. “Where do you stand?”
Booker made clear the dangers of a two party system, and how easily one can throw out their values just so they can remain loyal to their party. Even though he risked backlash, it is crucial for the American people to evaluate his criticisms without the influence of personal biases.
As you can see, calling your congressman is no waste of a phone call. Booker proved that ‘every voice matters’, no matter which party holds the majority. He continued to stay true to himself, spreading his political beliefs while also surpassing the length of a filibuster previously spoken by a racist senator.
