Sen. Jeff Merkley’s overnight remarks ending early Wednesday evening put him in the top tier of lengthy floor speeches in the chamber’s history, a marathon floor protest emblematic of the paralysis gripping Washington as a partial government shutdown entered its fourth week.
Merkley’s all-nighter on the Senate floor began early Tuesday evening, putting floor business on hold while railing against President Donald Trump and his agenda. His speech began not long after 6 p.m. and concluded at around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Merkley’s remarks, interrupted only to yield for questions from Democratic colleagues who came to the floor to give him breaks, clocked in at 22 hours and 37 minutes. That’s good for third-longest all time among senators continuously holding the floor.
