Sen. Jeff Merkley Jeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleyThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response Oregon senator says Trump's blame on 'forest management' for wildfires is 'just a big and devastating lie' MORE (D-Ore.) ended his all-night Supreme Court protest Wednesday morning, yielding the Senate floor after more than 15 hours.

Merkley took over the Senate around 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday to rail against Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court and stopped speaking at 10:14 a.m. on Wednesday.

“I’ve been here through the night talking about this to say how important this is that we not do this, that to proceed to fill this stolen seat that will damage the court for decades to come and damage the Senate for decades to come,” he said Wednesday morning.

Merkley used his hourslong speech to lay out broad criticisms of the current Supreme Court fight, accusing Republicans of "court packing."

He added early Wednesday morning that the partisan fight over Gorsuch's nomination was creating a "very, very ugly setting" in the Senate.

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"It's my understanding that the sun is coming up behind the Supreme Court. I was stuck by how beautiful the weather was yesterday while the weather inside this building was so dark and gloomy," Merkley said just after 6 a.m.

The marathon speech won't delay the Senate's consideration of Gorsuch. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) filed cloture on Tuesday before Merkley started speaking, setting up an automatic procedural vote for Thursday morning.

But Merkley appeared undeterred by the deadline, with his office pledging he would "hold the floor and refuse to yield for as long as he is able to continue speaking."

Merkley blasted McConnell's decision, accusing him of them trying to choke off debate.

“Here we are in the first day just hours into debate and the majority leader said, 'Enough. We don’t want to hear any more about this topic. We’re going to shut down debate,' " Merkley said.

Sen. Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Top GOP senator calls for Biden to release list of possible Supreme Court picks GOP ramps up attacks on Democrats over talk of nixing filibuster MORE (D-Ill.) was the only senator join Merkley's talkathon, coming to the floor around 6:30 a.m. and running through a litany of concerns about Gorsuch and the GOP strategy.

"This is part of a concerted effort by Republicans to take control of the federal judiciary," the No. 2 Democrat said.

Durbin also suggested that GOP groups are spending millions to help confirm Gorsuch because they think he will "rule along the lines that they believe."

Other colleagues and liberal outside groups offered their support for the Oregon Democrat via social media.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who stayed on the floor for Sen. Chris Murphy Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyGOP chairman to release interim report on Biden probe 'in about a week' This week: House returns for pre-election sprint Battle over timing complicates Democratic shutdown strategy MORE's (D-Conn.) 15-hour speech on gun control last year, praised Merkley in a video message

"His fortitude, his clear endurance being there all night, and his determination in this fight — [I] along with my colleagues just respect it. I'm grateful," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (D-N.Y.) also gave him a shoutout, saying his floor speech is "what we're all watching tonight."

Merkley has been a vocal opponent of Gorsuch's nomination, predicting as early as late January that his party would filibuster Trump's pick.

He added during his speech that by refusing to hold a hearing or vote for Merrick Garland, former President Obama's nominee, Republicans are trying to fill a "stolen seat" and would start a chain of grievances between both parties.

"If you can steal one seat and get away with it, the temptation next time is to steal another seat," he said, proposing that Trump renominate Garland or someone in his mold instead.

Merkley's speech comes as the Senate formally kicked off debate on Gorsuch's nomination Tuesday.

Democrats are largely opposed to Gorsuch's nomination. Only four Democrats have said they will help Trump's pick get over an initial procedural hurdle.

Merkley — reiterating a frequent liberal talking point — added that the Senate shouldn't confirm a Trump Supreme Court nominee amid an FBI investigation into Russia's meddling in the White House race and any ties between Trump officials and Moscow.

“This is a very serious question. There is a very dark cloud over the legitimacy of the election, and therefore, the legitimacy of the president," he said.

He also knocked Trump over a myriad of other policies, including building a U.S.-Mexico border wall and breaking his pledge to "drain the swamp."

There is no sign that Republicans will reverse course on Gorsuch. GOP outside groups chalked his hourslong speech to an 11th hour effort that is doomed to fail.

Nathan Brand, a spokesman for the conservative America Rising Squared, compared his speech to "those all-nighters before a test in college."

"While Senator Merkley's desperate floor speech may serve him well with his looney liberal base, it also shows how Senate Democrats have been co-opted by the extreme activists in their party," he said.