What is a ‘magic minute,' and why can it last several hours?

The Hill

a day ago

Video above: A portion of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' remarks delivered as he extends his 'magic minute' to delay the passing of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' on Thursday, July 3.
(NEXSTAR) — For more than seven hours, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) used his 'magic minute' to argue against President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which House Republicans advanced early Thursday morning.
Republican holdouts in the House were persuaded to vote in favor of the bill, giving way to final debates in the predawn hours.
While the House was wrapping up those debates, Jeffries took to the mic to use his 'magic minute.' He began delivering his address at 5 a.m. ET and, as of 10:30 a.m. ET, he was still speaking out against the massive bill and vowing to take his 'sweet time.'
How did this minute of debate turn into a more than seven-hour speech?
It's not exactly like the record-setting filibuster Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) employed earlier this year to decry the then-pending spending cuts that were expected to be added to the GOP tax bill. There, Booker could take questions from his fellow Democrats while refusing to yield the floor — which he ultimately held for more than 25 hours.
The 'magic minute' is similar, though. The House tradition allows for a leader, like Jeffries, to turn his 60 seconds of speaking time into an even longer period after debate on a bill have ended, The New York Times explains.
It's unclear how long Jeffries is expected to use his 'magic minute' on Thursday. If he's eyeing the record, currently held by former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), he'll need to speak beyond 1:26 p.m. ET.
However long Jeffries speaks, it's unlikely to stop the massive bill from making it through the House. It is a narrow margin — Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) can lose only three votes, assuming all members are present — but the bill is still expected to pass.
The outcome would be a milestone for the president and his party, a longshot effort to compile a long list of GOP priorities into what they call his 'one big beautiful bill,' an 800-plus page package. With Democrats unified in opposition, the bill will become a defining measure of Trump's return to the White House, with the sweep of Republican control of Congress.
Jeffries and other Democrats have encouraged Republicans to reconsider and vote against it. As Jeffries spoke Thursday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) called for voters to call their representatives and urge them to kill the bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.