House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shattered a speech record previously held by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during a marathon session in the U.S. House of Representatives over President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ The record-breaking speech, which lasted eight hours and 44 minutes, was part of an effort to delay the final vote on the massive tax and immigration legislation, which was being considered under the budget reconciliation process.
Jeffries, who has been using the ‘magic minute’ privilege – a tool allowing party leaders to speak for as long as they want – has been accused of employing this as a strategy to stall the legislative process. The speech began shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday, breaking McCarthy’s previous record of eight hours and 32 minutes, which he set in November 2021 to oppose the Democrats’ Build Back Better bill. Jeffries ended his speech shortly after 1:30 p.m., citing the need to ‘take my sweet time’
This unprecedented speech was not only a record-breaking event but also a platform for Jeffries to criticize the bill’s potential negative impact on American families. He highlighted the risks to Medicaid coverage and emphasized that the bill would ‘undermine the quality of life’ for many Americans, including children, veterans, and seniors. By drawing attention to the proposed tax breaks for billionaires and the increase in national debt, Jeffries argued that the bill would exacerbate the financial strain on vulnerable populations.
Jeffries’ critique of the legislation also extended to prominent figures like Elon Musk, whom he accused of benefitting from the bill’s provisions. He pointed out that while SNAP benefits provide only $6 per day for low-income families, Musk’s federal contracts totaled an estimated $8 million per day. Jeffries called for an examination of the spending on behalf of wealthy individuals rather than the vulnerable, suggesting that the bill represents a failure to address real issues of waste and fraud in the system.
While the House Republicans are expected to move forward with the vote, the prolonged debate over the bill highlights the deepening political divide between the parties. The speech, which drew widespread media attention, underscores the high stakes of the legislation and the broader implications for the country’s fiscal and social policies.