5 Longest Filibusters in U.S. History
• http://usgovinfo.about.com, Tom Murse In a filibuster, a senator may continue to speak indefinitely to prevent a final vote on the bill. Some read the phone book, cite recipes for fried oysters, or read the Declaration of Independence.
So who conducted the longest filibusters? How long did the longest filibusters last? Which important debates were put on hold because of the longest filibusters?
Let's take a look.
1. U.S. Sen. Strom ThurmondThe record for the longest filibuster goes to U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, according to U.S. Senate records.
Thurmond began speaking at 8:54 p.m. on Aug. 28 and continued until 9:12 p.m. the following evening, reciting the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, President George Washington's farewell address and other historical documents along the way.
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