As Senator Cory Booker delivered a historic marathon speech on the Senate floor in protest of former President Donald Trump’s policies, many wondered how the New Jersey Democrat managed to endure the grueling feat without taking a bathroom break.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who spoke for 21 hours and 19 minutes in 2013—a record Booker surpassed Tuesday afternoon—offered insight into the endurance challenge.
“The most frequent question I would get is, ‘What do you do about going to the bathroom?’ And you can’t leave the Senate floor,” Cruz told CBS News on Tuesday. “The very simple answer is: Nothing in, nothing out.”
During his lengthy speech against the Affordable Care Act, Cruz said he consumed just one small glass of water. “If you drink very little, you can last a long time,” he explained.
Booker did not seek advice from Cruz before launching into his speech around 7 p.m. Monday, according to the Texas Republican. However, Cruz recalled receiving guidance from Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who had staged an 11-hour filibuster earlier that year.
“Rand told me the key was water intake and comfortable shoes,” Cruz said. “He said what ultimately beat him wasn’t his legs—it was his bladder.”
For his own speech, Cruz swapped his signature black cowboy boots for tennis shoes, a practical choice for the long haul.
Booker, after surpassing Strom Thurmond’s 1957 record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, humorously addressed the inevitable challenge. He acknowledged he would continue speaking for a bit longer but ultimately needed to “deal with biological urgencies.