Hakeem Jeffries Holds Up Trump Bill Vote as House Speech Passes 4 Hours

Miami Herald

8 hours ago

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' "magic minute" speech is still going after four hours, as Republicansrace to pass President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act before a self-imposed July 4 deadline.
"I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time to tell the stories of the American people and that's exactly what I intend to do," Jeffries said at one point in his speech. "Take my sweet time on behalf of the American people."
Jeffries began his speech at 4:53 a.m. ET.
Newsweek has contacted Jeffries' spokesperson for further comment via email outside regular business hours.
Jeffries is speaking as House Republicans are preparing to vote on Trump's huge tax breaks and spending cuts bill after GOP leaders and the president worked to persuade holdouts to drop their opposition.
The package's priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in Trump's first term, in 2017, that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. To help offset the costs of lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a massive rollback of green energy investments.
Democrats have unified against the bill as a tax giveaway to the rich paid for on the backs of the most vulnerable in society
In his speech, Jeffries said the legislation—which he branded "one big ugly bill"—was an "all-out assault" on Americans' health and living standards.
He has also shared the stories of struggling Americans who would be affected if the legislation passes.
"This bill represents the largest cut to health care in American history," Jeffries said.
"It's an all-out assault on the health care of the American people, an assault on Medicaid, an assault on Medicare, an assault on the Children's Health Insurance Program, an assault on the Affordable Care Act, an assault on Planned Parenthood and the health care of women all across the United States of America, an unprecedented assault on the American people and their health care."
He said the cuts to Medicare are "directly contrary to what President Trump indicated in January, which was that he was going to love and cherish Medicaid. Nothing about this bill loves and cherishes Medicaid. It guts Medicaid. It guts Medicaid in a way that's going to hurt children, hurt families, hurt seniors, hurt people with disabilities, hurt women, hurt everyday Americans. Hospitals will close, including all throughout rural America."
He added: "As a result of the lack of health care that will result directly from this one big, ugly bill, people in America will die unnecessary deaths. That is outrageous. It's disgusting. That is not what we should be doing here in the United States House of Representatives."
The "magic minute" is a custom in the House of Representatives that allows the party leaders to speak for as long as they wish at the end of debate, while other members have to adhere to strict time limits.
When debate concludes, the House Speaker, majority leader and minority leader can be recognized for a "magic minute"—but they may keep the floor indefinitely until they voluntarily yield.
The "magic minute" is not codified in the House rules, but is a tradition of the House often used a kind of substitute for the Senate's filibuster.
In 2018, then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosiset a record when she used the "magic minute" to deliver an eight-hour speech in support of DREAMers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States when they were children. Former House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthybroke that record by about 20 minutes in 2021 after delivering a speech criticizing legislation that was later passed as the Inflation Reduction Act.
Jeffries wrote on X: "Just took to the House Floor to speak in support of a country where everyone can afford to live the good life. And in strong opposition to Trump's One Big Ugly Bill that is devastating to everyday Americans. We will not be silenced."
Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, a New Mexico Democrat, wrote on X that said Jeffries "is speaking truth on the House floor —breaking down exactly how the Republicans' Big Ugly Bill will make regular Americans more hungry, sicker, and poorer.
"Because while House Republicans refuse to hold town halls or allow real debate, Hakeem is doing what they won't: telling the truth, sharing the stories of the families this bill would hurt, and reminding us what our job in Congress really is —to build the good life for the American people. Watch. Share. The stakes couldn't be higher."
Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise spoke in support of the bill, saying: "If you're disabled on Medicaid, right now you've been crowded out of those programs by people turning down work, able-bodied people, 35-year-olds sitting at home playing video games. They're going to now have to go get a job, that's right. And by the way, that's a good thing for them. Their mom doesn't want them sitting in the basement playing video games anyway. But now it no longer will be crowding out Medicaid for the truly needy people who deserve it."
Jeffries' speech could delay a vote on the bill.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson had announced at around 3:30 a.m. ET that he had secured the votes to advance the bill.
Before Jeffries began speaking, the final vote had been tentatively slated to take place between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. ET.
If the bill passes, it will head straight to Trump's desk to be signed into law.
Update, 07/03/2025, 7:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information
Update, 07/03/2025, 7:55 a.m. ET: This article and headline were updated as Jeffries' speech continues
Update, 07/03/2025, 8:56 a.m. ET: This article and headline were updated as Jeffries' speech continues
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