Mr. Cruz, though, said it is certain Democrats will be able to strip the defunding provision with a majority vote later in the process, so the only chance to exert influence is early on, when it will take a 60-vote threshold to even proceed with action.
Mr. Paul’s filibuster earlier this year, which delayed a confirmation vote on the CIA director’s nomination, lasted just over 12 hours and 50 minutes — a mark Mr. Cruz crossed just after 3:30 in the morning.
But where Mr. Paul began before noon and lasted into the night, Mr. Cruz went on from afternoon through night and into the morning, aided in the wee hours only by Mr. Lee, who regularly popped up on the floor to ask questions.
At 5:30 a.m., there were still four members of the public in the viewing gallery — all of them men, each apparently here alone — watching Mr. Cruz’s effort.
The Texas Republican had built himself a sort of nest at his desk, in the back corner of the GOP’s side of the chamber, with a wristwatch to one side, his iPhone on another side and sheafs of papers all around.
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