Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a marathon speech that lasted all night and into Tuesday afternoon in a feat of endurance to show Democrats’ objections to President Donald Trump’s sweeping actions.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon was among his Democratic counterparts who stepped up to help Booker take short breaks near the end of his 19-plus-hour speech.

Booker yielded for their friendly questions — which were often preceded by long wind-ups praising the New Jersey senator — but made sure to say he would not give up the floor. He also remained standing to comply with Senate rules.

Wyden took 3 minutes and 34 seconds to pose his question, first framing it by talking up the ire he has heard from Oregonians fearful about cuts to Medicaid and Social Security, devastated by sudden federal job cuts and worried about what Wyden called “authoritarianism.”

“I hold open-to-all town hall meetings in every county in my state each year,” Wyden told Booker and the thousands of people watching him live on C-Span and other channels. “And since Donald Trump took office what we have seen in these town hall meetings is fear and terror and, I might add, record turnouts.”

What Oregonians who’ve turned out frequently ask about, Wyden said, is Medicaid and Social Security, which he called “the connective tissue between the government and our people. These programs make it possible for people to pay for essentials. They’re not going to fancy places. They’re buying groceries, they’re paying rent, they’re buying medicine.”

Republican lawmakers have said the two programs won’t be touched. But they’ve found themselves scrambling to reassure voters and play down Trump adviser Elon Musk’s comments about Social Security and his ability to make cuts.

Wyden also hailed federal workers in Oregon who took jobs in the state’s widespread forests to help prevent wildfires — only to find themselves suddenly laid off. Wyden chided the many Republicans in Congress who have decided to stop holding town hall meetings to avoid facing questions and anger from their constituents about Trump administration actions.

Wyden’s question for Booker, in essence, was what he’s hearing from his New Jersey constituents.

By the end of his overnight speech, Booker, a 55-year-old politician and a former football tight end, was plainly exhausted. It was a remarkable show of stamina — among the longest in Senate history — as Democrats try to show their frustrated supporters that they are doing everything possible to contest Trump’s agenda.

“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker said as he launched into his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”

Pacing, then at times leaning on his podium, Booker railed for hours against cuts to Social Security offices led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. He listed the impacts of Trump’s early orders and spoke to concerns that broader cuts to the social safety net could be coming.

Booker also read what he said were letters from constituents, donning and doffing his reading glasses. One writer was alarmed by the Republican president’s talk of annexing Greenland and Canada and a “looming constitutional crisis.”

“I hear you. I see you, and I’m standing here in part because of letters like yours,” Booker said.

The record for the longest individual speech belongs to Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, according to the Senate’s records. As it rolled past 19 hours, Booker’s speech marked the fifth longest in Senate history.

Only one other sitting senator has spoken for longer. In 2013, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican of Texas, held the floor for 21 hours and 19 minutes to contest the Affordable Care Act.

Booker’s speech was not a filibuster, which is a speech meant to halt the advance of a specific piece of legislation. Instead, Booker’s performance was a broader critique of Trump’s agenda, meant to hold up the Senate’s business and draw attention to what Democrats are doing to contest the president. Without a majority in either congressional chamber, Democrats have been almost completely locked out of legislative power but are turning to procedural maneuvers to try to thwart Republicans.