Hakeem Jeffries takes his 'sweet time' holding the floor to delay Trump's tax bill

WASHINGTON – There’s nary filibuster successful the House, but Democratic person Hakeem Jeffries fundamentally conducted 1 anyway.

Jeffries held the House level for much than 8 hours Thursday, taking his “sweet time” with a marathon level code that delayed passage of Republicans’ massive taxation and spending cuts legislation 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. EDT, and was connected gait to interruption the grounds acceptable by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 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, D-Calif., erstwhile she spoke astir immigration 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.

The code pushed a last ballot connected Republican President Donald 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.

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.

Democrats were powerless to halt the immense bill, which Republicans are passing by utilizing an obscure fund process that bypasses the Senate filibuster. So they were utilizing the powers they bash 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.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., likewise gained attraction successful April erstwhile helium spoke for much than 25 hours connected the Senate level and broke the grounds for the longest continuous Senate level speech 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. And arsenic they anxiously awaited their vote, immoderate mocked him connected societal media.

“Anything that drives House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries this brainsick indispensable beryllium good,” posted South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. “Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill now.”

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Leah Askrinam contributed to this report.

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