Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon is gunning for a record-breaking filibuster in hopes of blocking President Donald Trump’s “attempts to trample on the Constitution.”
Merkley began his filibuster Tuesday night in order to prevent Trump’s “authoritarianism” in the form of a clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution that Democrats have blocked nearly a dozen times. As of early Wednesday afternoon, over 18 hours into his Senate floor spectacle, Merkley appears to be aiming to beat New Jersey Democrat Sen. Cory Booker’s record-breaking 25-hour filibuster back in April.
Democrats’ $1.5 trillion funding bill aims to undo every policy implemented by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Addressing an empty chamber, Merkley railed against Trump’s efforts to address crime in Portland after an appeals court ruled in favor of the administration deploying the National Guard.
“Portlanders have responded in a very interesting way,” Merkley said. “They are demonstrating with joy and whimsy.”
Photo by Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images
The whimsical response from Portland residents included a horde of naked cyclists temporarily blocking an ICE facility’s driveway to protest the crime crackdown. Several arrests were later made after some protesters became rowdy, refusing to move out of the driveway.
“They want to make it clear to the world that what Trump is saying about there being violent protests or a rebellion in Portland,” Merkley said, “it’s just not true.”
RELATED: Appeals court rules Trump can lawfully order National Guard troops to Portland
Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Due to Merkley’s drawn-out floor speech, the Senate has not been able to schedule another vote to reopen the government as the shutdown approaches its fourth week.
Democrats originally shut down the government after they blocked the Republican-led funding bill, allowing the September 30 deadline to lapse. Despite Democrat posturing, the GOP’s bill remains a clean continuing resolution with no partisan anomalies.
In contrast, the Democrats’ $1.5 trillion funding bill aims to undo every policy implemented by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Democrats are also insisting on addressing Obamacare subsidies even though they expire at the end of the year.
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