History
Famous Filibuster Records in Politics
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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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