U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, speaks on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. Merkley began speaking Tuesday evening. (Screenshot via C-SPAN)

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley began speaking on the Senate floor just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday against what he called President Donald Trump’s authoritarian actions, and remained there Wednesday morning.

Aides to the Oregon Democrat said he plans to continue speaking for as long as he is able.

The marathon speech is not a traditional filibuster, in which a senator holds the floor indefinitely to block action on a piece of legislation, as the chamber has been stalemated for weeks over government spending.

Instead, Merkley spokespeople say he is seeking to draw attention “to how Trump is ripping up the Constitution and eroding our de

See Full Page