Sen. Jeff Merkley concluded a 22-hour Senate floor speech on Wednesday, stopping short of breaking the record as he railed against President Trump.
Mr. Merkley, Oregon Democrat, said his marathon oratory was intended to “ring the alarm bells” on President Trump’s authoritarianism.
“We’re in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our republic since the Civil War,” he said at the start of his speech on Tuesday afternoon. “President Trump is shredding our Constitution.”
Mr. Merkley criticized a slew of policies and administrative deeds: deportation efforts, canceled research grants, weaponizing the Justice Department and power over business deals and broadcast licenses.
“Not in a free America,” he said.
Mr. Merkley did not break Sen. Cory Booker’s record for the longest individual floor speech in the Senate. The recent speech by Mr. Booker, New Jersey Democrat, lasted 25 hours and 5 minutes. He was also protesting Mr. Trump’s presidency.
Mr. Merkley spoke for 22 hours and 39 minutes, which did beat Sen. Wayne Morse, an independent who held the record for the longest floor speech by an Oregon senator.
Mr. Merkley has stage long speeches in the past.
He spoke for 15 hours and 26 minutes against the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans invoked the “nuclear option” to shut down the filibuster of Justice Gorsuch’s confirmation.
This time, Mr. Merkley’s speech is not technically a filibuster, since he is not blocking a bill or a nomination. However, he is “holding the floor,” as it is known in the Senate.
Fellow Democrats took turns asking Mr. Merkley questions, giving him brief breaks during his speech.
His extended speech comes as the government shutdown stretched into day 22, with Democrats and Republicans still at an impasse.
Republicans criticized Mr. Merkley’s stunt.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana took to social media to slam Mr. Merkley for forcing Capitol Police to work overtime while they are not being paid because of the shutdown.
“The Democrats are going to make Capitol Police and Capitol support staff — who they refuse to pay — work all night so they can give speeches patting themselves on the back for shutting down the government and hurting the American people,” Mr. Barrasso said.
Toward the conclusion of his speech, Mr. Merkley thanked the Capitol Police, his staff, Senate pages, doorkeepers and others who oversaw the process.
He ended the speech at 5:01 p.m.
