Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon spoke on the Senate floor for 22 hours and 37 minutes. What was he protesting?

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Merkley spoke for 22 hours and 37 minutes protesting Trump's shutdown policies and impoundment crisis, not the funding bill itself. He demanded Republicans negotiate on healthcare subsidies and stop Trump's illegal fund freezes. Merkley's marathon speech highlighted Democratic powerlessness in the Senate: they could filibuster GOP bills but couldn't force votes on their own priorities. His protest dramatized how Senate rules favor obstruction over action, requiring 60 votes to pass anything meaningful.

Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon spoke on the Senate floor for 22 hours and 37 minutes. What was he protesting?

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