Jeffries sets record for House floor speech, passing McCarthy
The marathon speech was the only thing that stood between the debate and vote on the Trump administration's policy megabill.
Jeffries began speaking at 4:53 a.m. EDT, and as the sun rose, rumblings began around the Capitol that he might speak until he had passed the record set in 2021 by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The longer he talked, the longer the chamber waited to vote on the 900-page bill.
He said more than once he was taking his 'sweet time.' Peppered through the speech, he noted that Democrats were a 'hell no' against 'this effort to hurt the American people.'
Live updates: Jeffries speaks for hours with House on verge of passing Trump megabill
Jeffries covered a range of Democratic Party history and his family's background, called out specific House colleagues for the work they do to help Americans and took jabs at Republicans.
And he encouraged four Republicans to cross the aisle to vote with Democrats against President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' noting there was still time for them to change their minds.
McCarthy, when he was minority leader in 2021, spoke on the House floor for 8 hours and 32 minutes in an effort to stall a vote on the Democrats' social spending and climate package, known as Build Back Better. That speech broke the record previously held by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), set in 2018 in a speech that advocated for 'Dreamers.'
Jeffries commandeered the chamber floor early Thursday morning to deliver a marathon speech hammering away at the GOP's tax and spending cut bill, stalling a final vote on the sprawling package full of Trump's legislative priorities.
He bashed House GOP leaders for allotting only one hour of debate on its contents before the final vote, split into 30-minute segments between the two main committees of jurisdiction. The Democratic leader said he wanted to compensate for what he considers a dearth of discussion.
'It had been my hope, Mr. Speaker, that we'd be able to have a robust debate, passionate support, or passionate opposition in connection with this bill. That hundreds of members on both sides of the aisle could participate in, and instead we have a limited debate where the relevant committees of jurisdiction have been given 15 minutes each on a bill of such significant magnitude as it relates to the health, the safety, and the well-being of the American people,' Jeffries said.
'And because that debate was so limited, 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 — take my sweet time.'
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