Dems Hold 12-Hour Capitol Sit-In, Protest Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Senator Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made the Capitol steps their stage on Sunday, launching a 12-hour “moral moment” sit-in to reject President Donald Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.” As Congress rolled back from a two-week recess, the Democratic duo swapped Sunday church for what they called a “sacred civic space”—and they weren’t alone. Over the marathon session, activists and fellow lawmakers, including Randi Weingarten, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Senator Raphael Warnock, joined the protest, bringing some serious endurance to the art of dissent.

Booker and Jeffries took turns sharing personal stories of faith, inviting Americans to speak out about Trump’s first 100 days back in office and sounding the alarm over his budget plans. Their hours-long livestream drew hundreds of thousands of viewers on X and YouTube, proving that political theater still has a solid online audience.

In Booker’s words, “This is how we will stop cuts to Medicaid, this is how we will stop Trump and congressional Republicans' devastating agenda, this is how we will rise.” Big talk for a big day, as Democrats continued to warn that Trump’s proposed budget slashes could threaten funding for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. The Trump camp, meanwhile, insists those programs are safe—even as $1.5 trillion in spending reductions and more of those 2017 tax cuts are on the table.

Legislative committees are set to get down to business this week, fine-tuning the budget framework that zipped through both chambers before recess. Trump, never one to miss a headline, cranked up the pressure on Truth Social, declaring this a “crucial week” for his bill packed with “Massive Tax Cuts, Strong Border Security Measures, Major Military Advancements, Dramatic Deregulation, Powerful Spending Reforms, and more!” He promised nothing less than “Economic Prosperity” and a “Golden Age of America.”

Democrats, not buying the golden glow, spent their 12-hour livestream ticking off concerns about everything from education cuts and Planned Parenthood funding to the future of SNAP benefits. Booker described the moment as one of “moral urgency,” warning of a bill he considers one of the greatest threats to the nation’s most vulnerable—food security, elder care, disability services, and health care all on the line.

The protest, Booker said, was about “centering the stories of people who will be affected by this bill that will cut Medicaid so savagely and so many other things, to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.”

Booker, who just turned 56 during the sit-in (happy birthday, Senator), has been no stranger to showy protests in opposition to Trump’s agenda. Last month, he set a Senate record with a 25-hour speech against Trump’s executive orders and tax cuts—and even Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency got a mention. He’s also joined fellow Democrats in a social media campaign lampooning the administration’s truthfulness, let’s just say, a little colorfully.

Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders popped up to say Democrats still lack a clear vision for the future—a bit of soul-searching that might explain why the party’s message is still a work in progress. Booker’s team, for its part, did not respond to requests for comment, but after 12 hours on the Capitol steps, you can’t blame them for needing a nap.