<p>-
- Jeffries uses 'magic minute' as part of resistance plan against Trump tax bill</p>
<p>Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY July 4, 2025 at 12:17 AM</p>
<p>On the eve of America's 250th birthday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, is doing all he can to delay what looks to be the inevitable passage of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and domestic policy bill. Jeffries, stymied with legislative options to block Trump's signature "big beautiful bill", has now taken his efforts to the court of public opinion, seizing the microphone on the House floor in a marathon speech.</p>
<p>The Democratic leader started his protest speech shortly before 5 a.m. on July 3 as House Republicans continue to hammer out the proposal that would extend the 2017 tax cuts, boost military and border security spending and make an estimated $1 trillion cut to Medicaid and other programs meant to help the poor and working-class.</p>
<p>"I rise today in strong opposition to Donald Trump's disgusting abomination… that guts Medicaid, rips food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans, and rewards billionaires with massive tax breaks," Jeffries said.</p>
<p>There are stacks of binders next to Jeffries at the podium, which indicates he plans to extend this marathon debate further but the Trump administration and congressional Republicans believe they have enough votes to cross the finish line.</p>
<p>Here are some key things to think about in the final hours of the bill's debate.</p>
<p>Jeffries using 'magic minute' is part of Democratic resistance plan</p>
<p>As the party out of power in every part of the federal government, Democrats don't have many options in terms of stopping Trump's bulldozer in Washington.</p>
<p>Instead of defeating the bill, Jeffries appears to be looking to rally national outrage over Trump's measure -- which 55% of registered voters oppose, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released June 26 -- by using a procedural tactic known as the "magic minute" that gives the House leaders unlimited speaking time on the floor.</p>
<p>"People will die," Jeffries said. "I'm sad. I never thought that I'd be on the House floor saying this is a crime scene. And House Democrats want no part of it."</p>
<p>The marathon speech is similar to the one Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., did in April that lasted for 25 hours and 5 minutes and broke the Senate record.</p>
<p>It is unclear if Jeffries' talk-a-thon is getting the same level of attention online as Booker's speech did, but he's using to it pick apart the mega-bill and other parts of Trump's agenda including the focus on illegal immigration.</p>
<p>Jeffries said at one point that Democrats support fixing the country's "broken" immigration system and booting those who commit crimes out of the U.S., but that his party opposes targeting law-abiding immigrant families, such as a 2-year-old girl born to two undocumented immigrants in Florida who was deported to Brazil by the administration earlier this year.</p>
<p>'Take my sweet time': How long will Jeffries speak?</p>
<p>U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, house minority leader, speaks during a town hall at Rancho Mirage High School in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Saturday, May 3, 2025.</p>
<p>Democrats aren't saying how long Jeffries plans to speak, but from the binders and other materials joining the 54-year-old congressman at the podium he appears to be ready to take up as much time as he can physically muster.</p>
<p>"I'm still here to take my sweet time," Jeffries said at one point.</p>
<p>The House Democratic leader is about halfway to breaking the all-time record for the longest House floor speech set by former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who as the GOP leader in 2021 spoke against a Democratic spending measure.</p>
<p>For much of this year Democrats and their progressive allies have been searching for different ways to regain voters' confidence and stop Trump's winning streak, whether by using congressional procedures or crashing press conferences held by administration officials.</p>
<p>For most of the speech, Jeffries has been reading the testimonials of average Americans who will be impacted by spending cuts in what the president has dubbed his "one, big beautiful bill." But he has also been condemning other parts of the Trump agenda, including the massive effort to remove undocumented immigrants from the country.</p>
<p>Vance scoffs at delay tactic as White House reschedules signing ceremony</p>
<p>Republicans don't seem too deterred by Jeffries' protest speech, even as the White House is reportedly having to change plans on what day and time Trump will hold a ceremonial signing of the mega-bill.</p>
<p>Vice President JD Vance took to X, formerly known as Twitter, suggesting the Democratic leader's speech is having the opposite effect.</p>
<p>"GOP Congressman just texted me: 'I was undecided on the bill but then I watched Hakeem Jeffries performance and now I'm a firm yes.'"</p>
<p>GOP Congressman just texted me: "I was undecided on the bill but then I watched Hakeem Jeffries performance and now I'm a firm yes."</p>
<p>— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 3, 2025</p>
<p>Other White House aides are mocking the marathon speech, too.</p>
<p>Dan Scavino, a longtime Trump adviser and deputy chief of staff, posted a portion of Jeffries talking about stripping parts of the Affordable Care Act featuring the president playing an off-tune version of "My Heart Will Go On" on a flute.</p>
<p>Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, Sudiksha Kochi and Joey Garrison</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hakeem Jeffries' marathon speech part of Democratic resistance effort</p>
Source: AOL Politics
Source: AsherMag
Full Article on Source: Astro Blog
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities