The Buffalo Bills scored extra points in Sen. Cory Booker’s record-breaking speech.
The New Jersey Democrat gave the Bills a shoutout during his 25-hour, 6-minute marathon address that sacked the previous mark for longest speech ever delivered on the U.S. Senate floor.
Booker was joined by New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for a colloquy in the speech’s 15th hour. Booker joked it’s rare for a man from Brooklyn, like Schumer, to be complimentary of a man from Newark, New Jersey, like Booker. Schumer reminded his colleague that they’re both New York Giants fans.
“There is only one football team in New York, and that’s the Bills,” Booker said, pointing out that the New York Giants and New York Jets play in New Jersey and Brooklyn stole the Nets from New Jersey in the NBA. “I don’t have to yield. This is the one time in my life I get the last word with my much more senior, much wiser friend and senator.”
“There’s only one football team in New York, and that’s the Bills.” — Cory Booker during his historic speech yesterday. pic.twitter.com/AdIOuG5jWQ
“Go Bills,” said Schumer, who also roots for the Bills and has lobbied to keep the organization in Buffalo during his tenure. Schumer wore a Bills beanie while leaving President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen winked at a reporter after reminding him there’s only one New York team following a Bills’ victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 2019.
Booker, who played college football at Stanford, couldn’t jump through a table, or his desk, to drive home his Buffalo reference. He was required to remain standing for the entirety of the speech.
To hold the floor, Booker also had to hold his bladder. He didn’t sit, eat, or use the bathroom during his speech, essentially the opposite of a Bills tailgate. Booker fasted for about three days and stopped drinking fluids nearly 24 hours before his speech.
The speech was a symbolic protest to denounce the Trump administration. It surpassed South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 24-hour, 18 minute filibuster opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Did Cory Booker play football?
Corry Booker attended North Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in New Jersey, where he played football and was named to the 1986 USA Today All-USA high school football team as a defensive back.
The 24-member All-USA team included future NFL star running backs Emmitt Smith and Ricky Watters, future first-round pick and Pro Bowl linebacker Alfred Williams, and NFL safety and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
Booker played college football at Stanford, where he transitioned to tight end and made the Pac-10 All-Academic team. He had 20 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown in 22 career game for the Cardinal.
Booker was the senior class president at Stanford in 1990. He was a Rhodes Scholarship recipient and earned a degree in United States history from The Queen’s College in Oxford, England, and received a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School.
Ryan Miller can be reached at rcmiller@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills get shoutout from Cory Booker in record-breaking 25-hour U.S. Senate speech
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
