US Democratic Senator Cory Booker accused President Donald Trump of “recklessly” challenging the nation's democratic institutions in a marathon speech that broke a nearly seven-decade record on Tuesday for length.
The 55-year-old New Jersey politician, in a speech that began at 7pm on Monday and lasted 25 hours and five minutes, criticised the campaign by the Republican President and his billionaire top adviser Elon Musk to slash large sections of the federal government.
“Our institutions are being recklessly and unconstitutionally attacked and even shattered,” said Mr Booker, who was first elected to the Senate in 2013.
Mr Booker, who is black, broke the record for the longest continuous speech previously held by segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina.
In the summer of 1957, Mr Thurmond launched a filibuster against civil rights legislation that lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes. In the end, Thurmond failed in his mission to block a bill that expanded federal protections of voting rights for black people.
As Mr Booker stood for hour after hour, he appeared to have nothing more than a couple glasses of water to sustain him. He later told reporters that he had fasted for days before the speech and stopped drinking fluids the night before.
He repeatedly referred to activists getting into “good trouble” by speaking out against Mr Trump's actions, using a term that the late Democratic Representative John Lewis, a civil-rights leader, had often employed.
Mr Trump in his first weeks in office has moved to outright shutter government arms including the Department of Education and withhold congressionally approved spending. His administration has also questioned the authority of the federal courts to constrain its policies.
Democratic voters have become restive in recent weeks as Mr Trump, backed by a Republican-controlled Congress, has shaken up long-established US alliances and cut more than 100,000 federal workers.
Their anger has been aimed both at Republican legislators and the party's own leaders, including top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and top House of Representatives Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, for not being aggressive enough in challenging Mr Trump.
Mr Schumer paused Mr Booker late in his speech to ask, “Do you know you have broken the record?”
“I know now,” Mr Booker responded, dabbing his eyes with a tissue before continuing.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
