The Speech

The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class is a 2011 political book authored by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and published by PublicAffairs. In 2015, it was reprinted by Bold Type Books with a new foreword. The book is a transcript of the filibuster Sanders delivered on the U.S. Senate floor on December 10, 2010 against the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. The speech lasted 8 hours and 37 minutes. Content The book contains the text of the –hour speech Sanders delivered against the 2010 Tax Relief Act. The compromise bill proposed extending the Bush-era tax rates, while extending some of the provisions of the 2009 Recovery Act. Sanders argued that the legislation would favor the wealthiest Americans, mocking the need for the wealthy to own multiple homes. "Enough is enough!... How many homes can you own?" he asked. Despite his objections, the bill eventually passed the Senate with a strong majority, and was signed into law on December 17, 2010.