Thank you, Senator Booker
- Publius 2.0
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 11
by Mary Louise Beardsley, a director of DFL SD 59
Beginning on Monday, March 30, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., Senator Cory Booker, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, began a speech in the United States Senate that concluded 25 hours and 5 minutes later. He began, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.” The speech broke the record of the longest continuous speech in the United States Senate previously set by Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina in 1957. Thurmond’s speech had been a filibuster against the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
There were many eloquent passages in Senator Booker’s rhetoric. I listened to parts of his speech with tears in my eyes. I encourage you to search for them on YouTube. Here is a link to a video of the point in Senator Booker’s speech when he broke Strom Thurmond’s record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9aMoeMPtNs
I thought that the conclusion of Senator Booker’s speech was stirring:
“But I know who does have the power - the people of the United States of America. The power of the people is greater than the people in power. … [Representative John Lewis] said for us to go out and cause some good trouble, necessary trouble, to redeem the soul of our nation. … When our founders said we must mutually pledge, pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. We need that now from all Americans. This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right. It’s right or wrong. Let’s get in ‘good trouble.’ My friend, Madame President, I yield the floor.”
Thank you, Senator Booker, for standing up for ordinary Americans against the authoritarianism of Trump and his MAGA minions. Thank you for speaking truth to power. Thank you for reminding me of why I’m proud to be a Democrat.
The opinions expressed in the SD59 Blog are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent a consensus of thought or position of the DFL.