Congress chaos: Cory Booker speech, GOP revolt, Capitol gun incident
On April Fools’ Day this year, director Oliver Stone made headlines for testifying at a House hearing on the JFK assassination. This was the first congressional hearing on President John F. Kennedy’s death since 1992. Following the hearing, Stone held a press availability, discussing his views on the assassination.
In another surprising turn of events, House Republicans scheduled a hearing to address what they deemed as overreach by federal judges in their rulings against the Trump administration. However, a small group of Republicans blocked the House from debating a GOP bill aimed at reining in these judges. The dispute arose over whether pregnant or new moms in the House should be allowed to vote remotely, leading to the House being dismissed for the week after less than two days of work.
Senator Cory Booker also made waves by giving a 25-hour speech against the Trump administration on the Senate floor. Breaking the Senate record for the longest speech, Booker’s marathon address surpassed the previous record set by the late Senator Strom Thurmond in 1957. When asked about how he managed to speak for so long, Booker revealed that he dehydrated himself beforehand to avoid taking breaks.
Despite the lengthy speech, there was debate about whether Booker’s address constituted a filibuster. In the Senate, filibusters are often silent and involve the threat of opposition rather than continuous speaking. Booker’s speech included periods where he yielded to other senators for questions, allowing him brief breaks to recharge.
In a surprising twist, an aide to Booker was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police for allegedly carrying a firearm inside the Capitol complex. It was revealed that Booker himself led the aide around a security checkpoint in the Hart Senate Office Building, bypassing standard security procedures. This incident raised questions about security protocols within the Capitol complex.
While these events may seem like April Fools’ Day pranks, they actually occurred within the halls of Congress, highlighting the often unpredictable nature of politics. From historic hearings to record-breaking speeches, Capitol Hill saw a series of remarkable events on April Fools’ Day that captured the attention of the nation.
