As he broke a record set when Thurmond stood against the Civil Rights Act, Booker said, "I'm not here, though, because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech. I'm here because, as powerful as he was,

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey eclipsed the speech record on the Senate floor held by alleged racist, the late Sen. Strom Thurmond.

Booker broke the record for the longest speech on the Senate floor, but it was not filibuster. A filibuster is a speech designed to delay or prevent a vote on a bill. Booker was not trying to prevent specific legislation from passing but was speaking to show Democrats' resistance to President Donald Trump.