Senator Booker's 25-Hour Marathon: A Fight for Veterans During Government Shutdown

Chapters

• 0:00 The 25-Hour Senate Marathon
• 1:44 The 2013 Government Shutdown
• 2:41 Veterans' Benefits in Limbo
• 3:21 Booker's Senate Talk-a-thon
• 4:37 Powerful Veteran Stories Shared
• 5:45 Impact and Political Symbolism
• 6:43 Standing Up for What's Right

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

As the nation ground to a halt and federal workers faced empty paychecks, one man refused to sit down, refused to be silent and refused to let our veterans be ignored. In a rare act of political endurance, he stood literally for 25 hours on the Senate floor. This is the gripping story of Senator Cory Booker's 25-hour marathon, a bold act of protest during one of America's most frustrating shutdowns. If stories of courage, justice and leadership move, you be sure to follow Life Points with Rhonda on all platforms. Subscribe to the YouTube channel at Life Points with Rhonda 2968. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook at Life Points with Rhonda, and don't forget to check out the website at lifepointswithrhondacom. You can also stream the podcast on all major platforms. Let's get into it. Hi everyone, and welcome back to Life Points with Rhonda, where we dive deep into the moments that shape our relationships, our communities and our future. Today, we're stepping into the political sphere, but this isn't just about policy. It's about heart, it's about people and it's about the moral courage to stand when others choose to walk away.

Speaker 1: 1:16

In October 2013, as the US government shut down, essential services paused and uncertainty blanketed the country. Amidst that chaos, newly elected Senator Cory Booker chose not just to speak up, but to stay up. For 25 hours straight. He stood on the Senate floor championing veterans who were being directly harmed by the shutdown. Let's unpack the why, the how and the what happened next? What caused the shutdown?

Speaker 1: 1:46

The 2013 government shutdown didn't happen overnight. It was the result of intense political warfare centered around one issue the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Republicans in the House refused to pass a budget unless it defunded or delayed Obamacare. Democrats wouldn't agree to those terms. The result A budget stalemate that led to a 16-day shutdown beginning October 1st 2013. Federal agencies locked their doors, hundreds of thousands of workers were furloughed, national parks were closed and, most devastatingly, veterans who depend on consistent government support found their benefits delayed or inaccessible. Imagine serving your country, returning home and then being told we'll get back to you once Congress finishes arguing. The Veterans Impact let's not gloss over this. Veterans were affected deeply. Disability claims were stalled. Educational benefits under the GY Bill hung in limbo. Va call centers, regional offices and hotlines were unmanned. Mental health support was interrupted a dangerous risk considering PTSD rates among returning soldiers. Personal stories poured in, like a former Marine in Virginia who was weeks away from homelessness due to benefit delays, or a widowed military spouse who couldn't access survivor benefits. This wasn't politics anymore, this was personal, and Booker knew it. The Marathon Booker takes the floor On a Friday afternoon.

Speaker 1: 3:21

In early October, senator Cory Booker then, only months into his Senate role, walked into the chamber with a stack of letters from veterans. He began to read and he did not stop, from Friday at noon until Saturday afternoon, 25 hours in total. Booker stood without sitting or resting, speaking nonstop under what's known in the Senate as a talk-a-thon. It's different from a filibuster. Under Senate rules, a senator can continue speaking as long as they don't sit down, yield the floor or leave. There's no bathroom break, no meal break, just you, your words and the weight of your conviction.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Booker didn't grandstand. He told stories. He read letters from veterans and their families. He quoted data. He cited names, cities and service records. He made them visible again. Not alone who stood with him. Booker wasn't entirely alone. Senators Jeff Merkley and Richard Blumenthal joined him periodically to provide moral and procedural support.

Speaker 1: 4:24

Staffers, veterans and even some members of the public quietly gathered to bear witness. But this was Booker's moment. His words echoed through an emptying chamber, a building filled with tension and a nation unsure of what came next. The human angle, stories that broke the chamber's silence. One letter Booker read came from a Vietnam veteran in Alabama. He wrote after all I gave, I just want to be seen. I want my country to work for me the way I worked for it. Another came from a female Marine who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her benefits were delayed mid-treatment, she wrote. Every day is a battle. I shouldn't have to fight my government too. Booker's voice cracked more than once and those watching knew this wasn't political theater. It was truth-telling Political strategy and symbolism.

Speaker 1: 5:17

Some critics dismissed the move as performative. Others called it inspiring. Democrats largely supported the gesture. Some Republicans quietly acknowledged the sincerity but avoided engagement. Booker wasn't trying to stop a vote. He was forcing a moral conversation into a room obsessed with procedure. Political analysts later described it as a masterclass in symbolism a way to rally attention around a neglected group during a chaotic time.

Speaker 1: 5:43

The aftermath did it matter. Within days, the shutdown ended. A temporary budget was passed, benefits resumed, but here's what changed. Cory Booker's national profile surged. Veterans groups praised his leadership. The press covered the marathon as a standout moment of the shutdown and when Booker launched his 2020 presidential campaign, this moment was cited again and again as proof of his values, the relationship connection when action matches words. So what does this have to do with relationships? Everything we talk a lot about? What love looks like, what commitment means, what support feels like.

Speaker 1: 6:25

Cory Booker didn't know every veteran personally, but he showed up for them anyway. He used his voice to uplift those who felt abandoned. That's what true allyship is standing for people, even when it costs you time, comfort or political points. In our personal lives. How often do we stay silent when our loved ones are hurting? How often do we sit when we should be standing? Conclusion Stand for something. Booker's 25-hour stand didn't just mark a moment in political history. It reminded us that standing up consistently and publicly for what's right is powerful. It doesn't always require 25 hours. Sometimes it takes 25 seconds of courage. Sometimes it means sending one text, making one call or simply not backing down. You have power, you have presence and you're the angles on me. They cut so deep.