Why is Hakeem Jeffries speaking for hours on the House floor? | US politics
After an evening of torsion marathon of the arms, cajolers and pressure by tweet, the republicans of the Chamber say that they are finally ready to vote on the tax package and expenses of 4.5 TN of Donald Trump – a colossal legislation that the president wishes on Friday, the holiday of independence.
The final debate on the 887 -page bill began in the hours before Thursday morning dawn, but the Democratic chief, Hakeem Jeffries, has been the floor for more than six hours, repercussions against the legislation that Democrats have warned.
How can Jeffries speak for so long?
Jeffries uses his so -called “magic minute” – a tradition that allows the leaders of the room to speak as long as they wish after the end of a debate on the ground.
In 2021, the republican leader of the House of the time, Kevin McCarthy, spoke for record legislation of eight hours and 32 minutes, to protest against the legislation on the signing domestic policy of Joe Biden, who finally adopted when he sold the soil.
Jeffries started talking shortly after 5 a.m. and would go beyond McCarthy’s record at 1:26 p.m.
What is Jeffries’ message?
Democrats are united against what they have renamed the “Big Ugly” bill. Since the early hours of the morning, Jeffries has shared stories of Americans across the country which will be injured by the bill, which, according to him, has taken a “chainsaw” in Medicare, Medicaid, nutritional assistance for hungry children and vulnerable Americans. The Democrat chief has binders of filing assets next to his podium, and he reads stories of people who will lose health insurance, food assistance and other crucial advantages.
Jeffries described the “crime scene” bill and an “abomination” that will benefit the billionaires.
“People will die. Tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year, following the republican assault against the health care of the American people,” said Jeffries.
What do the Republicans say?
Republicans continue to defend Trump’s signature bill. On Wednesday evening, the president of the room, Mike Johnson, was optimistic and said that the legislators had a “long productive day” discussing the questions. He also congratulated Trump for making calls to the Hold-out until the first hours of Thursday morning.
Trump spent a large part of Wednesday to organize meetings and telephone calls with skeptical republican legislators.
While the rule was at a standstill, he threatened the legislators of the suspension, writing on Truth Social: “What are the Republicans waiting ??? What are you trying to prove?
Have Jeffries or other Democrats already did this before?
Democrats are increasingly using aggressive tactics such as marathon speeches to oppose Trump’s agenda. In April, Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey spoke in the Senate for 25 hours, which earned him the praise of other democrats and voters. Later this month, Jeffries and Booker organized a 12-hour sit-in on the stages of the American Capitol to protest against the financing plans of the Republicans. Presented as an “urgent conversation with the American people”, the live discussion included other democratic legislators, such as Senator Raphael Warnock, who spoke while the sit-in succeeded in the 10 hour brand.
