House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is delivering a marathon speech on the House floor, delaying the chamber’s vote on President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
On Thursday (July 3), Jeffries began his speech opposing the GOP-backed policy bill at roughly 4:53 a.m. ET, using his power as party leader to speak for as long as he wishes to stall the impending vote, per Newsweek. Jeffries’ speech passed the four-hour mark as House Republicans race to get the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Trump’s desk before his self-imposed deadline of Friday (July 4).
“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 during his speech. “Take my sweet time on behalf of the American people.”
Trump’s sprawling domestic policy bill proposes major cuts to food assistance and Medicaid to offset the costs for tax cuts and other GOP priorities, including border security and deportation. The measure passed in the Senate on Tuesday (July 1) and headed back to the House for approval on changes made in the upper chamber.
During his speech, Jeffries said the “one big ugly bill” was an “all-out assault” on Americans’ health and living standards.
“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.”
The Democratic lawmaker noted that the proposed 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.”
“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,” Jeffries said.
It’s unclear how long Jeffries will continue to speak. In 2018, former House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered a record-breaking eight-hour speech in support of DREAMers. Former House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy broke that record by about 20 minutes in 2021 during a speech criticizing legislation later passed as the Inflation Reduction Act.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is the only person expected to speak after Jeffries ahead of the final vote on Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Johnson has asserted that Trump and GOP leaders have garnered enough support to pass the measure.
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