Cory Booker staffer charged with bringing handgun into Capitol

One of Sen. Cory A. Booker’s staffers was arrested Monday after police said the employee brought a handgun onto Capitol grounds.

U.S. Capitol Police said Kevin A. Batts, 59, was taken into custody on illegal gun charges around 6:30 p.m. Monday — shortly before the New Jersey Democrat launched his marathon floor speech deriding President Trump that has lasted nearly 21 hours as of Tuesday afternoon.

For Mr. Booker, the arrest of his aid on gun charges was an unwelcome distraction from the high-profile speech, in which the senator declared that under Mr. Trump the “threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”

Police said Mr. Batts was originally led around security by a member of Congress on Monday afternoon. Later that evening, the staffer told authorities he was a retired law enforcement officer and was carrying a weapon. 

Mr. Batts was handcuffed moments later and placed in the back of a squad car.

“All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia,” Capitol Police said.

Mr. Booker said he was going to speak as long as he was “physically able.” He said he’s holding the floor as an act of opposition to President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress’ agenda.

“These are not normal times in our nation,” Mr. Booker, 55, said. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”

Mr. Booker, who at times paced the Senate floor or leaned on his podium, also fumed about cuts to Social Security offices and the role of White House adviser Elon Musk with the Department of Government Efficiency.

As the speech continued into Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Booker got some help from Democratic colleagues who tagged in for him on the Senate floor so he could catch a breather in one of the longest Senate floor speeches in U.S. history.

“Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has just been nothing short of amazing and all of America is paying attention to what you’re saying,” Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said as he asked Mr. Booker a question on the Senate floor. “All of America needs to know there’s so many problems, the disastrous actions of this administration.”

The record for the longest individual speech belongs to Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, according to Senate records. As it rolled past 19 hours, Mr. Booker’s speech marked the fifth longest in Senate history.