LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Here's a truly amazing thing. After talking on the Senate floor for slightly more than 25 hours, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker met reporters in a hallway to talk some more.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CORY BOOKER: Very sore and weary and tired and - but I'm enormously grateful for a lot of folks who sent me their very, very personal stories. They gave me a chance to speak to the pain, hurt, fear, anger, demands of a lot of Americans.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Booker's speech broke the previous record set in 1957 by Senator Strom Thurmond, who opposed a civil rights bill back then for slightly over 24 hours.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOOKER: I just found it strange that he had the record. And as a guy who's grew up with the - with legends of the Civil Rights Movement myself, my parents and other - their friends, it just seemed wrong to me. It always seemed wrong.
INSKEEP: All right. I can't say I watched the whole speech, but I checked in from time to time. Booker was speaking to protest many actions by the Trump administration. Let's hear a fraction of the points that Booker made. Around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, he was talking about the tariffs the president is promising to announce today - a day that Trump labeled "Liberation Day."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOOKER: I just feel that Trump is - mocks us. What does his "Liberation Day" mean to the people that are shackled to debt from medical debt, that are shackled with student debt, that can't afford the rising cost of groceries? What's his liberation mean to people who are chained by fear right now, waiting with bated breath to see if the Medicaid programs they rely on are going to be cut? What does his liberation mean to people who are literally in jails right now because they were disappeared from our streets? What does his liberation mean to people who can't afford homes because of his tariffs, who dreamed of a new car, but that's going to go up as well? I don't know what he means by liberation. I honestly don't. I wish he'd explain it to the American people. Who's liberated? In this financial times, who's liberated?
FADEL: He sounded a little weary at this point - about 20 hours - in but seemed to gain more energy on the way to the finish. A little after 7 last night, he broke the record to applause in the chamber and congratulations, even from a few Republicans. And then he said he wanted to go on just a little more.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOOKER: Let's be bolder in America with a vision that inspires, with hope that starts with the people of the United States of America. That's how this country started - we, the people. Let's get back to the ideals that others are threatening. Let's get back to our founding documents that those imperfect geniuses had some very special words at the end of the Declaration of Independence - was one of the greatest in all of humanity - declarations of interdependence, when our founder 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, madam president, I yield the floor.
(APPLAUSE)
FADEL: That was about five minutes after 8 o'clock last night. Although the speech did not pass or block any legislation, it seized attention - something Democrats have struggled to do.
(SOUNDBITE OF SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE'S "THEY FIXED THE BROKEN WINDMILL TODAY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
