U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have been arguing over the possibility of Congress passing President Trump’s SAVE Act. Lee has been pushing for a “talking filibuster” in the Senate to force Democrats to hold the floor and actively debate in order to block the bill.
On Wednesday, Cornyn wrote: “There is not a single instance in the history of the United States Senate where a ‘talking filibuster’ has resulted in a favorable outcome for the proponent.” Cornyn shared a list of “some very important priorities we would be precluded from considering,” concluding that “at the end of process, we may not even have the votes for the bill.”
There is not single instance in the history of the United States Senate where a “talking filibuster“ has resulted in a favorable outcome for the proponent. Furthermore, here are some very important priorities we would be precluded from from considering => pic.twitter.com/ZJE7NgrMSn
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 25, 2026
Lee replied to Cornyn and his list: “@JohnCornyn, your memo perfectly illustrates why the talking filibuster is necessary—not why we should avoid it like the plague or pretend it doesn’t exist. The procedural hurdles you list (including the two-speech rule, quorum, calendar drag, and opportunity costs) are real. But they’re also manageable—and in many instances can even be used to strengthen our negotiating position—if Republicans actually use the rules instead of surrendering to them.”
Cornyn replied to Lee’s response with one word, “Fantasy.”
Fantasy https://t.co/Fky9gu41XY
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 25, 2026
Historically both parties have used the filibuster, with the Senate itself citing two very different voices as examples in its official information page about the practice, “About Filibusters and Cloture.”
According to Senate.gov, “South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957,” and notes that the “record for the longest individual speech goes to New Jersey’s Cory Booker, who spoke for 25 hours, 5 minutes, against the policies of the Donald J. Trump administration in April, 2025.”
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