How Long Has Rand Paul Been Speaking? Nine Freaking Hours

Impact

At 8:47 PM, Rand Paul's filibuster officially hit the 9 hour mark. In case you're wondering, Paul still has a ways to go before he even cracks the 5 longest filibusters. If Paul wants to go for the record, he'll have to speak for another 15-plus hours, as the record is 24 hours and 18 minutes, held by Strom Thurmond, who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Thurmond, then a segregationist, served in the Senate until he was 100 years old. 

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reciting the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, President George Washington's farewell address and other historical documents along the way.

Thurmond was not the only lawmaker to filibuster on the issue, however. According to Senate records, teams of senators consumed 57 days filibustering between March 26 and June 19, the day the Civil Rights Act of 1957 passed.