Hakeem Jeffries' record-breaking eight-hour speech fails to block Trump's legislation

The bill that brings tax cuts, which US President Donald Trump called the "Big, Beautiful Bill", has also passed the US Congress. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke the record with his 8-hour speech.

“Today, I strongly oppose Donald Trump’s disgusting plan to gut Medicaid, take food out of the mouths of children, seniors and veterans, and reward billionaires with huge tax cuts.”

Hakeem Jeffries' record-breaking speech, which lasted more than 8 hours, began with these words. "What is envisioned in this big, ugly bill is wrong. It is dangerous and it is cruel, and cruelty should not be the purpose or the result of legislation that we are considering here in the United States House of Representatives," Jeffries said, arguing that cutting Medicaid is cruel.

During his record-breaking speech, he told the stories of Americans who would be affected by the bill, criticized Republicans for putting the bill up for a vote at midnight, and said, "Donald Trump's deadline may be July 4th, but it's not ours. We're not here for Trump, we're here for the people."

Democrats applauded Jeffries continuously throughout his record-breaking speech. There was one interesting moment during the long session. Representative Marcy Kaptur, a 79-year-old Democrat from Ohio, fell asleep during the speech. Noticing her, a lawmaker tapped Kaptur on the shoulder; then Representative Sarah McBride sat in her seat.

Jeffries also drew attention to the fact that some Republican lawmakers started supporting the bill at the last minute and asked: “What negotiations were made? What concessions were made? Everything will come out.”

Concluding his speech by pointing to the 2026 elections, Jeffries said, “Project 2026 is coming against Project 2025. This nightmare will end. We will not give up. We will continue to fight until victory is won.”

Jeffries used his "magic minute" to deliver his record-breaking speech, a tradition that allows House leaders to speak as much as they want after a session's debate has concluded.

The current record is 8 hours and 44 minutes, but the previous record was 8 hours and 32 minutes, held by then-Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy made his speech to protest Joe Biden's signature domestic policy bill, and by the time he left the podium, the bill had already passed.

Democrats often use such tactics to counter Trump’s agenda. In April, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker broke the record for the longest Senate speech when he spoke for 25 hours on the Senate floor. Jeffries and Booker then staged a 12-hour sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest Republican funding plans. Other Democrats, including Senator Raphael Warnock, joined the debate as the sit-in ticked past its 10th hour during the livestreamed event, which was called “An Urgent Conversation with the American People.”

Republicans continue to defend the bill, except for Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who voted no with Democrats.

When the vote on the bill was postponed, Trump responded to the lawmakers without naming them on Truth Social: “What are Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA is not happy and it’s costing you votes!!!”

The US Congress has approved the comprehensive budget package that is at the center of US President Donald Trump’s economic policy. The package, publicly introduced as Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” includes billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy, while slashing many social programs from health care to food aid.

The bill was passed after days of intense negotiations in both the House and Senate. The U.S. Budget Office (CBO), the official fiscal watchdog of the U.S. Congress, has predicted that the legislation could increase the federal budget deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next 10 years and could cause millions of people to lose their health insurance. But the Trump administration disagrees with those estimates.

Significant restrictions will be imposed on the Medicaid program, which provides healthcare to millions of low-income and disabled people in the U.S. Under the new law, healthy adults without children will be required to work at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for Medicaid starting in December 2026.

The Medicaid renewal period would also be reduced from one year to six months, and income/residence documentation would be required more frequently. The Senate bill also aims to reduce the taxes that states collect to finance Medicaid costs. The Senate created a $50 billion rural hospital fund because of the cuts, which would particularly hurt rural hospitals.

According to an analysis by Congress, these changes could leave an estimated 12 million Americans without health insurance coverage over the next decade.

SNAP, the food assistance program that provides 40 million people in the United States, is also being cut. According to the Senate proposal, states would have to contribute more to the cost of the program. States with a payment error rate above 6 percent would receive less federal support. There would also be new work requirements for healthy adults without children.

Trump’s campaign promise to not tax tips is also included in the bill. Accordingly, tips and overtime income up to a certain amount will be tax deductible. However, this exemption will be phased out for singles earning over $150,000 or married couples earning over $300,000 annually, and will end in 2028.

Republicans are proposing to gradually reduce tax credits for clean energy investments, rather than eliminate them entirely, which were introduced under former US President Joe Biden.

Credit support for investments such as wind and solar energy will be phased out by 2028. Additionally, companies with supply chains linked to countries such as China will not be given tax breaks.

Trump and Republican leaders have championed the legislation as a historic step to grow the U.S. economy and reduce tax burdens, but the opposition warns it will widen income inequality by slashing benefits and leaving millions of Americans without health insurance.

As part of the legislative process in the US, the House of Representatives and Senate have drafted and voted on their own separate versions of the same major budget bill; the two versions differ in some details, such as provisions on Medicaid restrictions, tax credits, and state-local tax (SALT) deduction limits.

In the final stage, Congressional leaders will combine the two drafts to create a joint compromise text, which will be presented to the President for approval. The legislation, which passes both the Senate and the House of Representatives, will be presented to Trump for signature. Trump is expected to sign the legislation in a ceremony today, July 4, Independence Day.