History

Famous Filibuster Records in Politics

Name: Famous Filibuster Records in Politics
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Strom Thurmond's 24 hours, Wendy Davis's stand, Ted Cruz reads Green Eggs and Ham — which filibuster was most dramatic?

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Source:Community curated

Updated:3/7/2026

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Filibusterer↕	Duration↕	Year↕	Issue / Bill↕	Known For↕
Strom Thurmond	24 hours 18 minutes	1957	Civil Rights Act of 1957	Longest solo filibuster in US Senate history, spoke against civil rights, read phone books and laws, used steam room trick beforehand
Wendy Davis	11 hours	2013	Texas SB5 (abortion restrictions)	Pink sneakers became iconic, Texas state senate, #StandWithWendy trended globally, ultimately bill passed in special session
Ted Cruz	21 hours 19 minutes	2013	Defunding the Affordable Care Act	Read 'Green Eggs and Ham' to his daughters on C-SPAN, technically not a filibuster (procedural), went viral
Rand Paul	12 hours 52 minutes	2013	CIA director nomination / drone policy	Demanded answer on domestic drone strikes, bipartisan support, #StandWithRand, actually changed policy through floor speech
Huey Long	15 hours 30 minutes	1935	NRA patronage provision	Louisiana's 'Kingfish' read Shakespeare, recipes for pot-likker, and the Constitution, theatrical populist showmanship
Robert La Follette	18 hours 23 minutes	1908	Aldrich-Vreeland currency bill	Progressive Era legend, collapsed after drinking adulterated eggnog (possibly poisoned), hospitalized after
Wayne Morse	22 hours 26 minutes	1953	Tidelands Oil Bill	Second-longest solo filibuster ever, Oregon senator, independent maverick, spoke about states' rights to offshore oil
Alfonse D'Amato	23 hours 30 minutes	1986	Military spending bill (defense of NY jobs)	Third-longest filibuster, read from DC phone book, sang 'South of the Border', protected Grumman defense jobs on Long Island
Chris Murphy	14 hours 50 minutes	2016	Gun control after Orlando Pulse shooting	Demanded vote on gun legislation after mass shooting, held floor until leadership agreed to allow votes, emotional testimony
Jeff Merkley	15 hours 28 minutes	2017	Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination	Overnight filibuster against changing Senate rules to confirm Gorsuch, spoke through the night, ultimately unsuccessful
Bernie Sanders	8 hours 37 minutes	2010	Tax cut extension for wealthy	Speech went viral, later published as a book, progressive icon moment, opposed Obama-era tax deal with Republicans
Cato the Younger	Full day (exact time unknown)	60 BC	Julius Caesar's land reform bill	Original filibusterer in Roman Senate, spoke until nightfall to block Caesar, Cato the Elder had similar tactics
Murray Sinclair (Canada)	3+ hours	2017	Cannabis legalization bill amendments	Canadian Senate, indigenous rights advocate, used speaking time to educate on residential school legacy, unusual Canadian filibuster
Lord Burghley (UK)	N/A — procedural delays	1880s	Irish Home Rule opposition	British House of Lords pioneered filibuster-style obstruction, led to Parliament Acts limiting Lords' veto power
Park Geun-hye's Opponents	192 hours (relay, 8 days)	2016	South Korean anti-terrorism bill	Longest relay filibuster in world history, 38 opposition lawmakers took turns, South Korean National Assembly, ultimately failed

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