House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned during his hours-long speech on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will kill “tens of thousands” of Americans.
Since about 5 a.m., Jeffries has used a procedural rule known as the “magic minute” to give an ongoing speech lamenting the spending package. The House Minority leader warned that the legislation will strip people of their healthcare and Medicaid, which would allegedly leave them to “die.”
“Because of this assault on healthcare in the United States of America, people will die. Tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year, as a result of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people,” Jeffries said. “I’m sad, I never thought I would be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene! And House Democrats want no part of it.”
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The legislation intends to make changes to Medicaid by imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults younger than 65 and limiting state provider taxes, though the White House has repeatedly denied that there will be any cuts to the program. The White House said in a fact sheet that the spending package “protects and strengthens Medicaid,” along with improving the economy.
Jeffries’ “magic minute” has allowed him to speak with unlimited time so he could aggressively make the case against Trump’s bill, which he accused Republicans of attempting to shove “down the throats of the American people.” He lashed out at the bill’s intended tax cuts, the $100 billion in funding toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border security and the changes to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance.
“This reckless Republican budget is an immoral document,” Jeffries said according to ABC News. “And everybody should vote no against it because of how it attacks children, seniors, and everyday Americans, and people with disabilities. This reckless Republican budget is an immoral document. And that is why I stand here on the floor of the House of Representatives with my colleagues in the House Democratic caucus to stand up and push back against it with everything we have.”
Democrats are stalling a vote as congressional Republicans try to get the bill to Trump’s desk by his July 4 deadline. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Jeffries’ disruption is an “utter waste of everyone’s time,” but assured they have the votes to pass the bill.
Vance addeda that an unspecified Republican congressman texted him that Jeffries’ speech turned him into a “firm yes” on the bill.
“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,’” Vance wrote on X.
The bill further intends to set aside $350 billion toward border security, including $46 billion to finish the wall across the U.S.-Mexico border and provide billions more to hire an extra 10,000 ICE agents by 2029. It also plans to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Trump signed into law in 2017, and eliminate taxes on tips and overtime.
The Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51 to 50 vote on Thursday, with Vice President J.D. Vance breaking the tie. It received a majority of support in a House procedural vote Thursday evening.
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