Washington, D.C. — July 3, 2025
In a dramatic and emotional display of political resistance, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries shattered records and delivered a fiery eight-and-a-half-hour speech on the House floor Thursday morning, delaying the final vote on President Trump’s massive domestic policy bill.
The legislation — dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" by Republicans — includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, a major expansion in defense and border spending, and deep reductions to key social safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The bill, a centerpiece of Trump's second-term agenda, is on the verge of House approval after narrowly clearing the Senate earlier this week.
Speaker Mike Johnson announced midday that he believed he had secured the votes to pass the bill following days of behind-the-scenes negotiations, late-night drama, and intense lobbying from Trump himself.
But before the vote could proceed, Jeffries seized his right to speak under the "magic minute" rule — a parliamentary maneuver that allows House leaders unlimited floor time — to mount a passionate critique of the legislation. His speech began just before 5 a.m. and continued uninterrupted into the early afternoon.
“This bill is a disgusting abomination,” Jeffries said. “It’s an extraordinary assault on the health care of the American people.”
Drawing on scripture, personal anecdotes, and testimony from constituents, Jeffries painted a picture of a country at risk of abandoning its most vulnerable citizens. His cadence echoed that of a Sunday sermon, invoking the traditions of the Black church to emphasize moral responsibility and justice.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food... I was sick, and you looked after me,” Jeffries quoted from Matthew 25, linking the words of scripture to the bill’s impact on programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats stood in unison behind him, shouting “Preach!” and “Tell them, Mr. Leader!” while Republicans waited, at times restlessly, for the speech to end so that debate could close and the final vote could take place.
Jeffries used the floor to accuse Republicans of selling out their constituents for political expediency and criticized Speaker Johnson for bending to pressure from Trump, who had publicly lambasted GOP holdouts in late-night social media posts. “MAGA IS NOT HAPPY,” Trump warned his party overnight. "It's costing you votes!!!"
Despite deep internal divisions, House Republicans overcame last-minute revolts. Fiscal conservatives had balked at the bill’s $1 trillion Medicaid cut and its projected increase to the national debt, while moderate Republicans objected to deeper-than-expected slashes to food assistance. But in the end, all but one Republican—Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania—voted to bring the bill to debate, signaling their readiness to pass it.
Among the most high-profile flips was Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, who dropped his opposition after Trump promised future executive action related to gun regulations, an issue Clyde had championed.
Speaker Johnson, who had spent Wednesday pacing Capitol Hill rallying votes while Trump summoned lawmakers to the White House, denied that any backroom deals were made. “We don’t make deals around here,” Johnson insisted. “Some just needed time to fully understand what they were voting on.”
But Democrats remain defiant. “When we say the Republican Party has turned into a cult, this is what we mean,” Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island said outside the Capitol.
At a press conference, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark called out vulnerable GOP lawmakers by name — including California's David Valadao — accusing them of hypocrisy for backing cuts they once opposed. “How can you vote for this bill when your district depends on Medicaid?” she asked.
Political fallout from the bill is already beginning. Democratic groups have launched ad campaigns targeting Republicans in swing districts, replicating the successful playbook of the 2018 midterms, when outrage over GOP healthcare cuts helped flip the House.
Polls show the bill is widely unpopular. A recent Quinnipiac University survey found just 29% of Americans support the legislation, and only two-thirds of Republicans back it — a troubling sign for Trump and his allies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The legislation delays many of its most severe provisions until after those elections, but Democrats are working to make the consequences clear now. “When kids get less to eat, when hospitals close, when prices rise,” said Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, “Republicans will have to own it.”
President Trump, meanwhile, is celebrating. He posted on Truth Social Thursday morning:
“What a great night it was! One of the most consequential Bills ever. The USA is the HOTTEST country in the world, by far!!!”
Later tonight, he is expected to headline the kickoff of America250 in Iowa, using the July 4 celebrations to cast the bill’s passage as a major victory for his administration.
But for Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries, the moment wasn’t about fireworks or fanfare — it was a call to conscience.
“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me,” Jeffries said in his closing words. “That is what we should be doing in the United States House of Representatives — standing up for the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.”
