Democrat delays Trump-backed bill with 8-hour speech, sets House record

Starting his speech at 4:52 a.m. local time, Hakeem Jeffries read letters from constituents who could be affected by cuts to social programs and criticized Republicans from swing districts who support the bill. Democrats are planning to target those districts in the next year's elections.

The speech marked the final attempt by Democrats to stall the Trump administration-backed bill before the final vote. In the end, the bill was passed.

Jeffries said he wanted to make it clear that he would use his time to ensure Americans fully understood how damaging the bill would be to their quality of life. He noted that while Trump set Independence Day as the deadline for passage, it wasn't his deadline.

Republicans largely ignored the speech. A new record was set at 1:25 p.m. local time, when the speech had lasted 8 hours and 33 minutes.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called it "an utter waste of everyone’s time," but acknowledged that such tactics are allowed under House rules.

While debate time in the House is usually strictly limited, party leaders are granted an exception, allowing them to speak without a time limit.

Trump's "big, beautiful bill"

The bill passed by the House is a sweeping piece of legislation covering key areas of US domestic policy. Donald Trump himself referred to it as "big, beautiful bill."

It includes deep cuts to social programs such as Medicaid, assistance for low-income families, and food stamps. Additionally, it aims to strengthen immigration control, ease restrictions on mineral extraction, and simplify regulations for the oil and gas industry.

Democrats strongly criticized the bill, warning that its passage would hurt the country's most vulnerable populations.

Recently, it was reported that Trump has intensified his efforts with Senate Republicans to push the bill forward.