History
Famous Filibuster Records in Politics
15rows
5columns
54views
0downloads
Source:Community curated
Updated:3/7/2026
15/15
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 |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Related Datasets
More in History
Deadliest Wars in History
A comprehensive list of the deadliest wars in human history ranked by estimated death toll, spanning from ancient conflicts to modern warfare.
20 rows1 shared tag
Deadliest Natural Disasters
Natural disasters ranked by death toll.
101 rows1 shared tag
Ancient & Medieval Weapons
Legendary weapons from ancient and medieval warfare — swords, bows, siege engines, and everything in between.
15 rows1 shared tag
Largest Empires in History
The largest empires in history ranked by peak land area.
173 rows1 shared tag
Famous Assassinations in History
Notable political assassinations throughout history that changed the course of nations, from Julius Caesar to modern leaders.
20 rows1 shared tag
Revolutions and Rebellions
Major revolutions and rebellions throughout history.
103 rows1 shared tag