‘Drink very little water’: how the senators speak for hours without stopping

Around 7 p.m. on Monday evening, Senator Cory Booker began to say what was going to become one of the longest speeches in the Senate in American history.

Tuesday afternoon, the Democrat of New Jersey is still in progress, after having spoken almost uninterrupted for more than 21 hours in opposition to President Donald Trump, Doge, the dismissal of federal workers, and more. In doing so, he prevented the Senate controlled by the GOP from doing something else and temporarily delayed the confirmation of certain Trump candidates.

Booker did not leave to use the toilets. He did not eat a meal. He was largely held in the same place behind his desk on the left side of the room; His speech was sometimes interrupted by a democratic colleague whose friendly questions allowed him a rapid respite.

Several of Booker’s colleagues have done the same in the past 12 years, including the Republican senses Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul from Kentucky, as well as the democratic senses Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Chris Murphy from Connecticut.

PRONG A Speech like this requires endurance – and careful preparation. It is enough to ask Cruz, who in 2013 spoke for 21 hours and 18 minutes against the affordable care law. Earlier that year, Paul had spoken for almost 1 p.m. in opposition to the candidate of former president Barack Obama as director of the CIA, and the Kentucky Republican offered advice to Cruz.

“He said, n ° 1, wearing comfortable shoes,” recalls Cruz on Tuesday. “And he said, number two, drink very little water.”

This is a delicate question – What if you really have to pee? Paul finished his own speech in 2013 by noting that “there are limits to obstruction, and I will have to take care of one of those here”.

Wendy Davis, former senator from the Democratic State in Texas, said that she had used a catheter when she pronounced a 13 -hour obstacle against a bill on abortion restrictions in 2013. Senator Strom Thurmond, the late Senator, whose 24 hours and 18 minutes of civil rights legislation are getting closer.

“In the era of C-SPAN, it seemed to be a bad idea,” said Cruz, referring to the presence of television cameras formed on the Senate soil. He also confirmed that he had never used a catheter or a layer. “In 21 hours, I drank a small glass of water.”

A spokesperson for Booker refused to comment on how the New Jersey senator had prepared for the speech – and if he wore a catheter or a layer.

Booker’s speech is now longer than Cruz’s speech in 2013, and it may be about to go beyond Thurmond’s record. The Texas senator said that he was still “grumpy” that he could not claim first place himself, due to the limits previously agreed over the duration of the debate.

However, he said he wanted the best of Booker.

“Cory is a good friend,” said Cruz. “You knock.”