WASHINGTON
US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries set a new record Thursday for the longest uninterrupted speech in the chamber as he delivered remarks opposing the Republican tax-cut bill during a floor debate.
Jeffries began at 4.53 am local time (1053GMT), and surpassed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s record, talking for eight hours and 44 minutes.
As he concluded, a group of Democrats assembled behind him erupted into chants of “Hakeem, Hakeem.”
After a marathon day of negotiations and a tense overnight session, House Republicans voted 219 - 213 to advance the measure early Thursday, setting the stage for a final vote on Trump's “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Jeffries broke the record for the longest speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, "fighting this betrayal by Republicans."
"Democrats in the Senate and House have now held the floor in each chamber, showing just how much Republicans are betraying America. In July and August, we will take the next phase of this fight to every state and every district, pointing out on the ground just how much Republicans have betrayed their constituents," he wrote on X.
The Senate passed the bill in a 51-50 vote on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a 50-50 tie.
Jeffries said Wednesday that the Democrats will vote "hell no" on the bill, which would cement many of Trump's controversial domestic policy goals into law while adding $3.4 trillion to the nation's debt.
"All we need are four Republicans, just four, to show John-McCain-level courage," he told reporters, referring to the late senator’s pivotal 2017 vote that saved the Affordable Care Act from repeal.
Several House Democrats took to the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday to call attention to the most contentious aspects of the legislation, including significant cuts to health care and nutrition programs.