Hakeem Jeffries Gets Standing O From Dems as He Mounts Marathon Speech to Delay Final Big Beautiful Bill Vote

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a marathon “magic minute” speech early Thursday to protest the “limited” debate rules set for President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.

With a vote that had been expected around 5:30 a.m. ET, the New York Democrat leaned into the dramatic pause, dragging proceedings into daylight as he read aloud a series of letters from Americans he said would be directly harmed by the bill’s deep cuts.

Speaking from the House floor, Jeffries said: “It had been my hope, Mr. Speaker, that we would be able to have a passionate debate of passionate support and passionate opposition and connection with this bill, that hundreds of members of both sides of this aisle had participated in.”

He continued: “Instead, we have a limited debate… 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.”

He added: “And that’s exactly what I intend to do; take my sweet time on behalf of the American people.”

Jeffries’s remarks were met with standing applause from his caucus.

The Democratic leader’s protest centered on proposed cuts to Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and support for farmers, veterans, and small businesses.

“The extraordinary thing about this bill is that it represents such an unprecedented assault on the American people,” he said. “There are stories that need to be told… and I will tell those stories.”

At 7 a.m. ET, Jeffries announced he was only “halfway through” his stack of constituent letters, pledging to continue until every voice was heard.

Overnight, Trump, frustrated with House Republican holdouts, unleashed on Truth Social and urged congressional members to quit stalling and back his bill to pass it in time for his self-imposed July 4 deadline.

Watch above via MSNBC.