“The female form is just a work of art, y’know?” said Booker. “It should be worshipped.”
Photo by Dylan Schmidt
In an attempt to “connect with the kids,” Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) delivered a “deeply performative” 20 hour-long filibuster on the Senate floor against H.R. 1989.
This resolution revokes a portion of the Affordable Care Act, allowing private health insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, leading to substantial out-of-pocket costs for patients.
When taking the Senate floor, Booker violated congressional dress code by wearing baggy thrifted jeans and a plaid, short-sleeve button-up. “Mr. President, with Mars in retrograde, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1989. This bill takes money out of the pockets of working-class Americans, making it harder for them to afford oat milk lattes and farmers’ market produce…wilted rose emoji,” said Booker.
Booker’s filibuster consisted of a “tote bag tour”, playing Laufey’s newest album on vinyl for the Senate chamber, handing out Labubus, and performing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on the ukulele for the Senate.
“Reading feminist literature — specifically bell hooks — helps me understand that attacks on healthcare primarily affect women, since pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition. That’s why I always make sure to give my fiancée the princess treatment when she’s on her period,” Booker said. Booker took care to emphasize the lowercase spelling of bell hooks’ name.
This filibuster comes amidst a gendered shift away from the Democratic party. While young people lean liberal overall, young men trend more conservative compared to their female counterparts — a widening gap diverging from older generations. Thus, Booker’s goal is to build politically active “wired earbud” young men.
“I move to rename H.R. 1989 to the Misguiding Americans Towards Coercive Healthcare Activities, or the MATCHA Act. I hope this kawaii name inspires young people to door-knock for representatives with their tote bags and Doc Martens,” Booker said.
At the conclusion of his filibuster, some Republican senators commended Booker’s “tenacity to represent his constituents” while remaining determined to pass H.R. 1989 through the chamber. Booker himself remarked on the bill in a post-filibuster interview: “In the spirit of compromise, I decided to vote in favor of H.R. 1989 in exchange for renaming the bill. This new name forces the majority party to reckon with the reality of this legislation while also demonstrating how we can always reach across the aisle,” Booker said. After renaming the bill, the Senate passed the MATCHA Act 62–38. The amended bill is expected to pass the House and be signed into law at the end of March. “To hold space for how my constituents feel about the filibuster and subsequent signing of the MATCHA Act, I’m organizing a town hall next weekend at an underground indie bookstore in Jersey City,” he said. “Come with book recommendations!”
