Democrats pulled out all the stops Wednesday to delay the vote on a short-term spending bill to reopen the government, the 12th time the Senate has considered the measure since the government entered a shutdown Oct. 1.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., embarked on a nearly 24-hour speech at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, concluding his remarks at 5 p.m. the next day. Merkley, 68, warned viewers of the authoritarianism he said had become a facet of the Trump administration.

“Be aware and worried about the possibility of the use of an emergency in order to expand authoritarian power. That’s the position we’re in now in the United States of America. Authoritarianism with a rubber-stamp Congress, a court that’s delivering more and more power to the executive and an executive who has a well-planned strategy,” M

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