Washington, DC [US], April 2 : In a remarkable display of determination, US Senator Cory Booker has shattered the record for the longest floor speech in modern Senate history. Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, surpassed the late Senator Strom Thurmond's 1957 record of 24 hours and 18 minutes, CNN reported.
Booker began his speech at 7 pm on Monday (local time) and continued through the night, vowing to keep speaking as long as he was physically able. His marathon speech is a protest against actions taken by President Donald Trump's administration.
The speech has delayed legislative business in the Senate, but it is largely symbolic, as Booker is not attempting to block any specific legislation, as per CNN.
Booker's speech comes as Democrats face increasing pressure from their voters to take a tougher stance against Trump. With limited options available to them in Washington, Booker's speech stands out as a high-profile form of protest by a Democratic lawmaker so far in Trump's second term.
During his speech, Booker warned in his remarks that the "country is in crisis" as he railed against a wide range of issues, from castigating Elon Musk's efforts to overhaul the federal government under Trump to warning of potential cuts to key health care programs for millions of Americans.
"I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able," Booker said at the outset of his remarks. "I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis," Booker said.
"In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy," Booker said. "These are not normal times in America. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate."
According to CNN, Booker took questions at various points from Senate Democratic colleagues as a number, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who joined him for stretches of time on the floor in a show of support.
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