It may have been the year of the filibuster, but none of the senators that endured overnight talkathons in 2013 could top Sen. Jeff Session’s (R-AL) time on the floor.
A C-SPAN analysis estimated that Sessions logged 33 hours of speaking time, the most out of all his Senate colleagues, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. The Times pointed out that as the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, Sessions took to the floor often during fiscal debates, as well as to speak out against a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was close behind Sessions at 30 hours of speaking time, according to C-SPAN’s estimate.
Compare that to the speaking time of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who C-SPAN clocked at 20 hours even though his September floor speech against Obamacare lasted 21 hours. The Texas Republican allowed supportive colleagues to step in and speak while he controlled the floor.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) didn’t even crack the top five Senate talkers as ranked by C-SPAN, despite his 13-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination to head the CIA in March.
