The senator from New Jersey delivered a speech that lasted for 25 hours and four minutes, setting a new record for the longest floor speech in Senate history.

Booker surpassed the previous record of 24 hours and 18 minutes set in 1957 by the late Senator Strom Thurmond, who spoke against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Booker stated he spoke “in spite” of Thurmond’s record. As Booker continued his speech, fellow Democrats joined him on the floor, offering encouragement, with some like Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz embracing him briefly. Throughout the lengthy session, Booker managed his exhaustion by shifting his weight and referring to notes provided by his team.

Booker and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer briefly sparred over New York sports teams during their exchange, though they could agree that they both support the Giants.

Schumer had been the first to pose a question to his New Jersey colleague, and he praised Booker for his “strength and conviction.”

“You’re taking the floor tonight to bring up all these inequities that will hurt people, that will so hurt the middle class, that will so hurt poor people, that will hurt America, hurt our fiscal conditions, as you document,” the New York Democrat said.

“Just give us a little inkling of the strength – give us a little feeling for the strength and conviction that drive you to do this unusual taking of the floor for a long time to let the people know how bad these things are going to be.”

Booker then yielded to senator Lisa Blunt Rochester for further questions, noting that before he began speaking, the Delaware Democrat prayed with him on the Senate floor.

“My sister came over and prayed with me that I could stand for a long time, because she knew what we were trying to do, which was to try to create with who we serve, with John Lewis-type good trouble in this institution, to not do things normal,” he said, adding that Blunt Rochester had “asked God to give me words of love today.”

In recent years, the chamber has seen a number of marathon speeches mounted by senators, including: Jeff Merkley against Neil Gorsuch in 2017; Murphy on gun control in 2016; Rand Paul over National Security Agency surveillance programs in 2015; and Ted Cruz against the Affordable Care Act 2013.

Cruz, whose 2013 speech lasted 21 hours, said his advice for Booker was simply: “Wear comfortable shoes and don’t drink water.”

The late Strom Thurmond holds the record for the longest speech when he spoke on the floor for 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Booker invoked Thurmond on Tuesday.

“You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond – after filibustering for 24 hours – you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, ‘I’ve seen the light.’ No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it,” Booker said, referring to the late civil rights leader and longtime congressman John Lewis.