Home Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries is making a marathon final stand in opposition to President Donald Trump’s main tax reduce and spending invoice.
Jeffries took to the Home flooring simply after 5 a.m. on Thursday and has now been talking for greater than six hours, delaying a ultimate vote within the chamber on the home coverage invoice on the coronary heart of Trump’s second time period agenda.
Jeffries has stacks of binders subsequent to him on the podium as he picks aside the invoice and a few of the Republicans who voted for it.
“I have been given quarter-hour every on a invoice of such vital magnitude because it pertains to the well being, the protection and the nicely being of the American individuals and since that debate was so restricted, I really feel the duty, Mr. Speaker, to face on this home flooring and take my candy time to inform the tales and that is precisely what I intend to do,” Jeffries stated.
The “magic minute” speech is a process that grants members of Home management limitless time to talk after debate on a invoice has concluded. For context, then-Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, spoke for greater than eight hours in 2021 when the Home handed President Joe Biden’s Construct Again Higher Act.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries is applauded as he speaks on the ground of the Home of Representatives in Washington, July 3, 2025.
Home of Representatives
Jeffries has centered a lot of his speech on the invoice’s projected impression on Medicaid, the federal program that primarily serves seniors and folks with disabilities, sharing private tales from individuals he says will wrestle on account of the megabill.
“Individuals will die. Tens of hundreds, maybe 12 months after 12 months after 12 months, on account of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American individuals,” Jeffries stated. “I am unhappy. I by no means thought I’d be on the Home flooring saying it is a crime scene.”
In response to the nonpartisan Congressional Price range Workplace, the Medicaid cuts and adjustments handed by the Senate might trigger 11.8 million Individuals to lose their medical health insurance over the subsequent decade.
Jeffries is excoriating the Trump-backed megabill’s “assault on healthcare.”
“Each single home Democrat is combating onerous to guard your Medicaid,” Jeffries stated. “We worth you and we’re working onerous to defend you.”
Republicans have defended the adjustments as reforms to entitlement applications they declare are riddled with “waste, fraud and abuse.” The Trump administration has additionally pushed again on the nonpartisan price range workplace itself and its evaluation, claiming bias.
Jeffries did not cease at well being care and is criticizing different parts of the invoice, together with its impression on the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) and its immigration provisions.
“You see, budgets are ethical paperwork. And in our view, Mr. Speaker, budgets ought to be designed to carry individuals up,” he stated. “This reckless Republican price range that we’re debating proper now on the ground of the Home of Representatives tears individuals down.”
“This reckless Republican price range is an immoral doc,” Jeffries continued. “And everyone ought to vote no in opposition to it due to the way it assaults youngsters, seniors, and on a regular basis Individuals, and folks with disabilities. This reckless Republican price range is an immoral doc. And that’s the reason I stand right here on the ground of the Home of Representatives with my colleagues within the Home Democratic caucus to face up and push again in opposition to it with the whole lot we have now.”
These feedback prompted Home Democrats gathered close to Jeffries to face in applause.
