Washington — Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, began delivering a marathon speech on the Senate floor Tuesday evening, speaking overnight and into the morning Wednesday in protest of President Trump’s policies.
“I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells,” Merkley said at the outset of his speech.
President Trump is shredding our Constitution.”
Andy Kim and Cory Booker, along with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, took turns asking Merkley extended questions late Tuesday and Wednesday morning, giving him brief breaks.
On Monday, a federal appeals court cleared the way for the administration to federalize and deploy members of the Oregon National Guard to Portland while a legal challenge moves forward.
Washington — Sen. In an effort to protest President Trump’s policies, Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon started giving a lengthy speech on the Senate floor Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning.
The 68-year-old Merkley started talking at 6:21 p.m. M. on Tuesday and blasted the Trump administration all night long for its deportation initiatives, the termination of federal programs, the alleged weaponization of the Justice Department, and its plans to deploy the National Guard into American cities, including Portland, Oregon.
In his opening remarks, Merkley stated, “I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells.”. “This is the most dangerous time in our nation’s history, the greatest threat since the Civil War. Trump is destroying our Constitution. “.”.
New Jersey Sens. Illinois Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker. Washington Sen. Dick Durbin. Senator Maria Cantwell of Minnesota. Massachusetts Senator Tina Smith. Sen. Ed Markey of Connecticut. Chris Murphy alternated between asking Merkley lengthy questions late Tuesday and Wednesday morning, interspersing them with short rests.
Merkley’s home city of Portland has long been the focus of Mr. Trump’s ire, but it gained renewed attention last month when the president ordered the Defense Department to arrange for the deployment of National Guard troops to the city. As a legal challenge continues, a federal appeals court on Monday gave the administration permission to federalize and send Oregon National Guard members to Portland.
“President Trump wants us to think that my home state of Portland, Oregon, is rife with riots and chaos because he can tell the American people that there are riots and a rebellion,” Merkley stated. He can use a rebellion as an opportunity to further solidify his authoritarian hold on our country. To strengthen his authoritarian hold, pretend there are riots or even attempt to incite violence. “,”.
Portlanders, according to Merkley, aren’t “taking the bait.”. Rather, he stated, “they are demonstrating with whimsy and joy.”. “,”.
He continued by saying, “They want to make it clear to the world that what Trump is saying about violent protests or a rebellion in Portland is just not true.”.
