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SUMMARY
On the evening of March 31, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) took the Senate floor for a marathon speech to protest President Trump, urging his fellow party members to step up and do better. Booker broke a Senate record that stood for 68 years, set by former Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a segregationist and southern Democrat, who filibustered the advance of the Civil Rights Act in 1957.
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KEY TERMS
filibuster — a long speech that someone makes in order to delay or prevent a new law being made
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Cory Booker?
- How long did Booker stand on the Senate floor?
- Why is Booker protesting against Trump?
- How does Booker believe that Trump is harming the US?
- What does Booker say he wants for his fellow Americans?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
In his speech, Cory Booker said, "We designed the world order and now we're turning our back on it. We designed the rules-based world order and we're turning our back on those organizations."
- What do you think Booker means by this? Who is the "we" he is referring to and what is the "rules-based world order" they designed?
- According to Booker, what have been the consequences of "turning our back"? Does he provide any suggested solutions to these consequences?
Media literacy: Throughout his record-length speech, Booker had support from fellow Democrats who asked him questions to give him a break from speaking. What were some of the questions they asked him? How can you find out how Senate Republicans reacted to Booker's speech?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Although Cory Booker's speech was record-breaking in length, it wasn't technically a filibuster. To learn why and to learn about the history of the filibuster, check out this article from NPR. You can also watch the video below.
On August 28, 1957, at approximately 9 p.m., Sen. Strom Thurmond began to speak on the Senate floor against H.R. 6127, which would become the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Thurmond was a segregationist and strongly opposed the bill because it would establish the Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department and protect voting rights, particularly for Black Americans. Although Thurmond stood and spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes, he failed to convince a single senator to change their vote and the bill passed.
- Why do you think Thurmond was unable to persuade anyone despite his lengthy efforts?
- Since Booker wasn't protesting against any specific legislation, the effect of his long speech isn't as clearly defined. Do you think Booker's speech was effective in convincing people to stand up against Trump? Why or why not?
To learn more about Cory Booker and his time in office, check out this article from AP News.
Written by Gianfranco Beran, PBS News Hour Classroom's production assistant, and News Hour's Victoria Pasquantonio.
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