Hakeem Jeffries sets record for longest House speech before budget bill vote

5 hours ago 7

Washington — There's nary filibuster successful the House, but Democratic person Hakeem Jeffries fundamentally conducted 1 anyhow arsenic the House debated President Trump's "big, beauteous bill" earlier it passed connected Thursday.

Jeffries held the House level for much than 8 hours, taking his "sweet time" with a marathon level code that delayed transition of Republicans' monolithic taxation and spending cuts authorities and gave his number enactment a lengthy spotlight to excoriate what helium called an "immoral" bill.

As Democratic leader, Jeffries tin talk for arsenic agelong arsenic helium wants during statement connected authorities — hence its nickname connected Capitol Hill, the "magic minute," that lasts arsenic agelong arsenic leaders are speaking.

He began the code astatine 4:53 a.m. ET and finished astatine 1:37 p.m. ET, 8 hours, 44 minutes later, breaking the grounds acceptable by then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California successful 2021, erstwhile helium was the GOP leader. McCarthy spoke for 8 hours, 32 minutes erstwhile helium angrily criticized Democrats' "Build Back Better" legislation, breaking a grounds acceptable by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, erstwhile she spoke astir migration for 8 hours, 7 minutes successful 2018.

"I consciousness an obligation, Mr. Speaker, to basal connected this House level and instrumentality my saccharine time," Jeffries said arsenic helium opened.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York speaks successful the House enclosure arsenic Democrats basal to applaud him earlier the last ballot connected President Trump's taxation and spending measure astatine the U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., connected July 3, 2025.

The code pushed a last ballot connected Mr. Trump's taxation bill, initially expected successful the aboriginal morning, into the daylight hours. The New York Democrat utilized the clip to knock the bill's wellness attraction and nutrient assistance cuts, taxation breaks for the affluent and rollbacks to renewable vigor programs, among different parts of the measure that Democrats decry.

He besides killed clip by riffing connected hip-hop, King George III and his ain beingness story, among different diversions. He called retired Republicans who person voiced concerns astir the bill, work stories from radical acrophobic astir their wellness attraction from those GOP lawmakers' districts and praised his ain members, immoderate of whom sat down him and cheered, clapped, laughed and joined hands.

"This reckless Republican fund is an immoral document, and that is wherefore I basal present connected the level of the House of Representatives with my colleagues successful the House Democratic caucus to basal up and propulsion backmost against it with everything we have," Jeffries said.

He ended the code successful the cadence of a Sunday sermon, with astir of the Democratic caucus successful a choky huddle astir him. One workfellow called out, "Bring it home, Hakeem!"

"We don't enactment for President Donald Trump," Jeffries said, arsenic a fistful of Republicans crossed the aisle sat soundless and occasionally snickered astatine the person arsenic helium kept talking.

He invoked the precocious John Lewis, a civilian rights activistic successful the 1960s and longtime Democratic congressman from Georgia. "Get into bully trouble, indispensable trouble," Jeffries said. "We're going to property connected until triumph is won."

Jeffries sneaked tiny bites of nutrient and drank liquids to boost his energy, but did not permission the enclosure oregon his podium. The code would beryllium implicit if helium did.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York talks to reporters arsenic helium leaves the House level astatine the U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., connected July 3, 2025.

Democrats were powerless to halt the immense bill, which Republicans passed by utilizing an obscure fund process that bypasses the Senate filibuster. So they were utilizing the powers they did have, mostly to delay. In the Senate, Democratic person Chuck Schumer of New York forced Senate clerks to work the measure for astir 16 hours implicit the weekend.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey likewise gained attraction successful April erstwhile helium spoke for much than 25 hours connected the Senate level astir the archetypal months of Mr. Trump's presidency and broke the grounds for the longest continuous Senate level code successful the chamber's history. Booker was assisted by chap Democrats who gave him a interruption from speaking by asking him questions connected the Senate floor, but Jeffries' "magic minute" did not let for immoderate enactment with different members.

Republicans who were sitting connected the level erstwhile Jeffries started trickled out, leaving fractional the enclosure empty. When the code was over, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican of Missouri, called it "a clump of hogwash."

The code "will not alteration the result that you volition spot precise shortly," Smith said.

After the measure passed, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that Democrats "wanted to talk for hours and hours and interruption records due to the fact that they wanted to basal successful the mode of history."