“I want to restate my main mission that I’m here all night for, which is to warn against an authoritarian takeover and a strategy of passing authoritarian laws where families lose and billionaires win,” Merkley said.
Merkley is the third Democratic lawmaker this year to give a marathon speech, a so-called filibuster, to delay a vote. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey spoke for more than 25 hours, from March 31 to April 1, breaking the record held by Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, famous for blocking the Civil Rights Act for more than 24 hours in 1957.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York spoke for nearly nine hours on July 3 to delay a vote on a sweeping Republican tax-cut and spending bill, breaking the record held by former Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who spoke for more than eight hours in 2021.
Democrats in Washington currently have little influence, as Republicans hold majorities in both the House and Senate. However, Senate Democrats and the House Democratic leader can hold the floor for as long as they want to speak, in order to draw attention to certain issues and slow down the work of the legislature.
Senate Democrats have also repeatedly used the 60-vote rule to block the temporary funding bill, which was passed by House Republicans on Sept. 19 with the support of one Democrat.
(Vijesti.ba)
