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Democats filibuster medicaid cuts for 12 hours live.
(www.c-span.org)
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this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2025
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"Booker's speech is not a filibuster because it is not blocking legislation or a nomination." (archived)
Democrat Cory Booker's marathon Senate floor speech, in which he is largely criticizing the Trump administration's policies and spending cuts, has just passed the 12-hour mark.
The U.S. Senator from New Jersey has held the floor since about 7 p.m. ET on Monday, pausing only to take questions—and a breath—from Democrat allies.
He has so far largely targeted spending cuts, including efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, and the need for greater bipartizanship in Congress.
The 55-year-old has vowed to keep going "as long as I am physically able."
Booker's speech is not a filibuster because it is not blocking legislation or a nomination.
The New Jesey Senator is part of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's campaign strategy to focus on kitchen-table issues, including federal spending cuts, ahead of next year's midterms.
Watch speech clips in the video above, and follow live footage and text updates below.
fil·i·bus·ter /ˈfiləˌbəstər/ noun 1. an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures.
What progress was obstructed here? He started at 7 in the evening and went through the middle of the night, I doubt Republicans had plans to move some critical legislation at 3am.
It sounds like he would have done better to start at 7 AM, but I've not really looked into it.
So you don't understand either, and are just assuming it's the most effective way to go about it.
Dude, we all certainly understand this less than a sitting senator. Get off it.
Maybe 7pm is significant, maybe it isn't, but we are sitting here from our toilets still wiping the sleep from our eyes while this guy is giving a speech for 12 hours. Can we stop pretending we have any clue?
There's a level of servility in this comment that is just downright distasteful.
I show no submission to authority. The point of my post, which was meant to be a jab at the armchair politicians / optics gurus / 4d strategists in this chain who were arguing over the effectiveness of starting at 7pm.
So it could be purely performative and accomplish little?
Every single minute of time taken away from the republican congress from passing laws for trump is good. It means no one can legislate, hopefully it continues for 2 years.
They haven't been passing laws. All the bad shit they've been doing these last couple months has been through illegal executive orders. Congress NOT acting has been the problem.
Hes going to break the longest filibuster record at 24+ hours so does it matter when he started?
It's such a simple concept, everyones got an opinion without taking the time to think that a filibuster is just preventing anyone else from using the Senate floor. It generates headlines, 24 hours of bitching. if cable news isn't playing this you need to share with your family and friends.
The whole point of this is prevent the government from passing laws, and airing the grievances of america.
Its truly inspirational, try watching instead of criticizing, then come back and say something related to the filibuster?
I think they're just saying it isn't a filibuster.
What does saying it's not a filibuster do anyway? What makes that a worthwhile statement? Besides being false it's gaslighting basic civic knowledge and opposition to authority.
The statement is just here to be disingenuous and keep interest away from the fact that someones doing something useful finally. A political strategy of opposition is born. Check it out! maybe someone filibusters after he steps down, and it continues for weeks.
It is a filibuster, a filibuster is just a long speech that prevents the senate from proceeding to its next activity. They are filibustering all bills that republicans are working on. all nominations.
legally, though, it's not a filibuster, because filibusters can be ended by the senate and long-ass speeches can't be :9
I love loopholes. So what you're saying is it's better than a filibuster because it can't be shut down. So this is a positive trend where we can just hold the senate floor and read out letters from American citizens instead of voting to legalize trumps insanity?
Well friend, what are you and the people you support doing? Are you opposing legislation by holding the floor and not allowing it to get introduced? Are you bringing a voice to all the suffering thats coming for us all?
Are you still doing the 2024 dems are bad so just let trump win and fuck the world spin?
I’m with you. Either pay attention or hold your criticism of the only people actively trying to stop the Trump administration.
Democrats voted and spoke out against Trump’s cabinet nominations, forced a 15-day vote against Trump’s executive order, confirmed Biden’s pending judicial appointments when Republican attendance is low, and are the ones bringing these cases to the courts. They are doing everything they can to stop this from the minority.
The DNC needs to be risking jail like their opposition in order to be effective. Their GOP counter parts showed how effective that could be and have doubled down on it.
Trying to be strong in the face of adversity requires real risk of consequences. Everything the DNC does is so meticulously calculated to minimize risk all they have is posturing. Speed of execution beats the best planned but half implemented strategies.
Fail faster, take more risk, fucking act like lives are on the line and don't worry about which lobbyist isn't going to call you back after you inadvertently nuke their shit.
Well, not everything. Like rolling over to allow a spending bill through with absolutely no concessions it’s things like this that make the democrats complicit and not acting as a true opposition party.
The CR/shutdown was a lose/lose. According to EO 14210, Trump could terminate non-essential government employees in a large-scale reduction of workforce if there is insufficient funding. It would expedite Project 2025.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/don-t-use-shutdown-plans-to-slash-the-federal-workforce
And the funding bill gave expansive new military powers to the executive office, it wasn’t just a stop gap bill. It’s the same lame Duck crap democrats continue to do that put our country in the position it is in. They are complicit and are more aligned with the republicans than they are a true left or progressive party.
I’m aware. I’m not saying it was the right choice. I’m saying it was a lose/lose situation. The military powers are more of a formality to keep the Republicans in Congress’s hands clean. They have majority regardless.
If it's lose/lose, why didn't they choose to lose with dignity instead of lose like cowards?
Right if you can't stop Hegseth form getting nominated at least do something to slow it down. Any opposition is good.
This is real political opposition. Not holding a sign for TV cameras. 17 hours of reading Americans pleas of mercy. This is american he's voicing my concerns and obstructing republicans. This is what i want. Sorry it offends so many. Im going to watch all day and tell my friends to watch.
Support this if you hate authoritarianism.
Something I want to highlight, because I know it'll come up (even if just in people's minds) is democratic betrayals and silence, eg on the budget CR.
Chuck Schumer likely betrayed the Dems either for financial institutions and "stability", or for state safety and cowardice. The former is scummy, and pretty much grants him all the hate he deserves. The latter is also plausible, and perhaps more excusable (still betraying our wishes) in that millions of people who hadn't been following politics would hear smear tactics against Democrats. Plus, it would shut down the courts which is the one area of frequent victory.
I'm not making that case because I agree with it, especially now that courts are faltering, just that someone good but scared could believe it. And even if you assume the worst of Chuck, think about the motivations that put most Democrats in place across the country. A good number of them aren't going to capitulate to the silence/financial appeasement.
If you want a better solution: Research democratic candidates before you vote for them. I've been phone banking for Susan Crawford, and while everything I see about her is good, I do get worried by the voter response of "Oh, I always vote Democrat!" Someday, for some people, that will not be a good idea. For some 80% of them, it is. And if the House is ever 80% democrat, it won't matter that 20% of them are spineless.
On that point, Schumer flipped (and whipped up enough traitors to pass the bill) in like the 12 hours before the vote. They had been talking about this since the inauguration, as the time when they'd finally be able to force the Republicans back to the table and do something
There's no way he didn't get a call from someone.
Then he meets with Trump, goes on a talk show tour to try to justify his actions, and the Democratic establishment held their breath to see if people would buy it. They still aren't coming out hard against him... The condemnations are lukewarm and hesitant at best from party leadership.
No, they gave MAGA everything they wanted. They didn't even get to give input on the spending bill. This isn't 5D chess, this isn't a strategic play... It was just total capitulation
And the party still wants to wait and see if Schumer can salvage his reputation, if they can sweep this utter betrayal under the rug
This was my read on the situation as well, thank you for voicing it better than i could.
Booker isn't either. Again, in case you missed it:
"Booker’s speech is not a filibuster because it is not blocking legislation or a nomination."
Booker is grandstanding. Talking. Talking gets us nowhere. Is he DOING anything? No. The entire party is rudderless, weak, and borderline complicit. ACTUALLY complicit in the cases of Schumer and Fetterman and Durbin, to name a few.
In case you missed it look up the definition of a filibuster. Please try and think REALLY hard, about how obstucting a legislature works. Do your best to really consider the definition of filibuster and get back to me.
Any time taken up on the senate floor, cannot be used by republicans and their dem traitor friends to pass law.
This is good. Its not going to save the world, but this is a good start to opposition. I wish i could find a better way to express myself on this one but your opinion leaves me at a loss for words.
Your link just had a ton of articles i could not find your quote.
He's holding the senate floor in a filibuster. If what you say is true they maybe trying to introduce legislation or a nomination. I seriously doubt they are standing up there all night to stretch their voices. They are submitting public testimony to the record.
Did you have any thoughts? I'm not even sure how to respond to your link.
Edit: I found the quote, they described a filibuster, and then claimed his was not one. Great reporting. Holding the floor for 12 hours is obsructing the legislature.
fil·i·bus·ter /ˈfiləˌbəstər/ noun 1. an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures.
The Senate does not have a time limit on any speech like other bodies do. One a Senator has the floor, they can keep talking until they yield the floor.
A traditional Filibuster is when a Senator does this to postpone a particular vote. Since there was no vote pending, technically this doesn't count as a Filibuster. Which means Booker can get the press coverage for doing this, without really holding up anything important.
I don't know if you remeber 2008-2016 but republicans basically threatened to filibuster everything and no laws got passed.
Democrats are warming up for 2-8 years of filobustering everything I hope. Its better than you know 12 senators voting with republicans to screw their constituents. Schumers to old to hold the floor for 12hours over night. Someones gonna have to be brave enough and strong enough to oppose like this for years.
Glad to see so much popular support. The virgin rage and impotence is palpable.
... Thanks for linking to a source which confirms my interpretation, you did my work for me!
Seriously it will not kill you to support some kind of political opposition to authoritarianism flirting with nazis.
I'm always amazed this site is a bunch of left of center folks and yet your words and actions are always in favor of republicans destroying progressivism.
How is being a doomer working out? You guys gaining any ground on not getting deported or detained for 1st amendment rights?
You think this is doing nothing? So you're telling me the republicans have no pending legislation or nominations they are trying to pass this week? You don't think they have an endless list of bullshit to pass. Any time taken away from them being able to screw us over is good.
You're making me a doomer tho chill.
Ah yes, a real heritage foundation constitutionalist here folks.
Yes The glorious US government of 1850. What was it that happened 11 years later? Are we even the same government at this point?
Has the filibuster been used in different ways since that time. 2008-2016, they just said filibuster and no one even had to hold the floor, the bills would crumble.
let these fuckers cook and pray they can hold the floor for 2 years.
and therefore it can't be stopped by cloture or withdrawal or override because it is just a senator talking
which he can do for as long as he likes