This Friday, Thank Sen. Corey Booker

Action 62 - April 4

Acts of Heroism and Resistance are happening all around us.

On Tuesday evening, Sen. Corey Booker (D-NJ) took to the Senate floor to protest the administration's draconian and cruel policies.

Here’s what I wrote when he hit hour 18 on Tuesday afternoon:

Let's be clear about what is going on here. Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ) is in his 18th hour of standing and speaking on the Senate floor, opposing the administration's draconian, cruel, and short-sighted policies.

It is not a filibuster - he is not preventing any particular piece of legislation from passing. He is mucking up the work of the entire chamber and slowing down the Senate's business. Personally, I wish it were a filibuster stopping some of the heinous legislation. But this is a powerful protest nonetheless.

Booker must remain standing to maintain control of the floor (he is sometimes leaning on a podium). He can pause to take questions from his colleagues, and many of them, Senators Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Warren, and Raphael Warnock, have stepped up to ask lengthy and complicated questions, giving Sen. Booker a chance to catch his breath—but not sit down or take a bathroom break. While he is well-supported, this is a one-man protest bordering on disobedience. At this moment, it is an act of heroism.

Depending on how long he hangs on, Sen. Booker has a shot at breaking the record for longest speeches in the Senate. Sen. Strom Thurmond currently holds the top spot. He spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act in 1957. The longest speech by a sitting Senator was from Sen. Ted Cruz in 2023, opposing the Affordable Care Act. While these senators stood for hours to protect the wealth and power of the top echelons of society at the expense of everyone else, Booker is speaking for all Americans. This is the leadership and energy we need at this moment.

This week’s thank you notes are going to Senator Booker. Here are the relevant addresses. I’m sending a note to all three.

Newark Office

One Gateway Center
23rd Floor
Newark, NJ 07102

Phone: (973) 639-8700
Fax: (202) 224-5702

Camden Office

401 Market St.
Suite 240
Camden NJ 08102
PO Box 618

Phone: (856) 338-8922
Fax: (202) 224-5701

Washington DC office

306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3224
Fax: (202) 224-8378

We are taking action daily for the first 100 days of this presidency. Our actions exemplify resilience and resistance - they may be overtly political or economic, or focus on community building or direct care. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Please send me your ideas, and let me know how it’s going. Join the chat: