04/02/2025
Senator Ron Wyden took to the Senate floor Tuesday morning to back New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker in a speech that has now lasted more than 24 hours. The protest, aimed at drawing attention to Democratic concerns over the Trump administration’s policies, focused heavily on potential cuts to Social Security and Medicaid.
“These programs make it possible for people to pay for essentials,” Wyden said. “They’re not going on vacations. They’re buying groceries, paying rent, and affording medicine.”
Wyden, who has held more than 1,100 town halls since becoming a senator in 1996, said he’s hearing “fear and terror” from Oregonians about the future of these programs under Trump’s leadership. He also called out Republican lawmakers for avoiding town halls and failing to answer to constituents.
Booker, who vowed to remain on the Senate floor “as long as I am physically able,” emphasized the urgency of the moment. “This is not about politics. This is about people’s lives. We cannot stay silent while programs that millions rely on are threatened,” he said.
During their exchange, Wyden told Booker, “You’re setting a very clear example about what it means to push back against authoritarianism.”
Despite the speech’s length, this is not a filibuster, as it isn’t tied to stopping a specific bill. Instead, Booker and other Democrats are using procedural maneuvers to disrupt Senate business and spotlight their opposition to the administration’s policies.
More on this historic speech here: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/oregon-senator-ron-wyden-join-cory-booker-all-night-senate-speech/283-0cced6c8-1c13-4a5a-bdce-d4c8d4cc8b47?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KGW-TV
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden took to the Senate floor Tuesday morning to back New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker in a speech that has now lasted more than 24 hours. The protest, aimed at drawing attention to Democratic concerns over the Trump administration’s policies, focused heavily on potential cuts to Social Security and Medicaid.
“These programs make it possible for people to pay for essentials,” Wyden said. “They’re not going on vacations. They’re buying groceries, paying rent, and affording medicine.”
Wyden, who has held more than 1,100 town halls since becoming a senator in 1996, said he’s hearing “fear and terror” from Oregonians about the future of these programs under Trump’s leadership. He also called out Republican lawmakers for avoiding town halls and failing to answer to constituents.
Booker, who vowed to remain on the Senate floor “as long as I am physically able,” emphasized the urgency of the moment. “This is not about politics. This is about people’s lives. We cannot stay silent while programs that millions rely on are threatened,” he said.
During their exchange, Wyden told Booker, “You’re setting a very clear example about what it means to push back against authoritarianism.”
Despite the speech’s length, this is not a filibuster, as it isn’t tied to stopping a specific bill. Instead, Booker and other Democrats are using procedural maneuvers to disrupt Senate business and spotlight their opposition to the administration’s policies.
More on this historic speech here: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/oregon-senator-ron-wyden-join-cory-booker-all-night-senate-speech/283-0cced6c8-1c13-4a5a-bdce-d4c8d4cc8b47?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KGW-TV
