By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Related Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Led by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Democrats seized the Senate ground on Wednesday to protest President Donald Trump’s presidency amid the authorities shutdown and push for Republicans to barter with them on expiring well being subsidies.
Merkley spoke for greater than 22 hours — from 6:21 p.m. Tuesday to five:00 p.m. on Wednesday — pausing for prolonged questions from different Democratic senators.
His speech was one of many longest in Senate historical past, simply wanting an identical speech in April by Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. Booker, who was additionally protesting Trump, broke the report with a speech that lasted longer than 25 hours, surpassing a 1957 speech by Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina filibustering the advance of the Civil Rights Act.
Authoritarianism just isn’t across the nook, Merkley mentioned as he wrapped up his speech round 5 p.m., “it’s right here proper now.”
The senator’s talk-a-thon got here as Democrats have pressured the federal government shutdown over their calls for to increase authorities well being care subsidies, and as Republicans have refused to barter over the expiring tax credit till Democrats vote to reopen the federal government. Democrats have voted 11 instances to maintain it closed — with a twelfth vote anticipated on Wednesday night — and the 2 sides have made little progress towards a decision.
Merkley mentioned throughout his speech that Republicans had been those shutting down the federal government “to proceed the technique of slashing Individuals’ well being care” after passing cuts to Medicaid and different packages over the summer time.
He used a number of hours of his speech to explain what he mentioned had been Trump’s authoritarian strikes, together with assaults on the press and insurance policies that Democrats say are enriching billionaires on the expense of standard individuals. He mentioned that Trump’s plan is to switch a authorities “by and for the individuals with a authorities by and for the highly effective.”
Merkley additionally broke his personal private report for a ground speech, which was greater than 15 hours in 2017 to protest Trump’s then-nomination of Supreme Courtroom Justice Neil Gorsuch. On the time, it was the Senate’s eighth-longest ground speech.
Like Booker, Merkley’s speech was not a filibuster, which is supposed to halt or delay the advance of a particular piece of laws.
By holding the ground open all evening, Merkley pressured Senate ground workers, safety and different help employees who’re presently unpaid to work extra time hours. The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1.
“The Democrats are going to make Capitol Police and Capitol help workers — who they refuse to pay — work all evening to allow them to give speeches patting themselves on the again for shutting down the federal government and hurting the American individuals,” Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican, posted on X Tuesday evening. “How ridiculous is that?”
After Merkley’s speech, Barrasso mocked the Democratic senator and referred to as his speech “garbage.”
Merkley appeared drained for a lot of the day, saying within the early afternoon that he was “beginning to really feel slightly dazed” and later that “my stamina is getting slightly shaky.” However he saved going till early night.
At round 2:45 a.m., just a few hours in, Merkley paused to untie his shoelace. He mentioned standing in a single place had “made my sneakers slightly tight.”
“I don’t advocate standing by way of the evening and speaking,” mentioned Merkley, who turns 69 on Friday. “Not a wholesome pursuit. However I’m standing right here to ring the alarm bells.”
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