House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasts Republicans and the Trump agenda bill in an hours-long floor speech

Jeffries' speech, which began around 5 a.m., cannot block passage of the bill but can delay it.

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a blistering attack on the GOP’s sweeping legislative package supporting former President Donald Trump’s agenda, speaking for hours on the House floor in a bold attempt to delay its passage.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., began his floor speech shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, using his privilege as a House leader to speak indefinitely under the chamber’s “magic minute” rule. While the speech can’t block the bill, it forces a delay, buying precious time for Democrats to raise alarms over the bill’s far-reaching consequences.

For more than seven hours — and counting — Jeffries methodically dismantled the bill’s proposals. With a stack of binders at his side, he read aloud messages from Americans who would be hit hardest by proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits. His voice rising and falling with passion, Jeffries condemned what he called the “cruelty” embedded in the legislation.

“What is contemplated in this one big, ugly bill is wrong. It’s dangerous, and it’s cruel,” Jeffries declared. “Cruelty should never be the goal or the byproduct of legislation in the United States House of Representatives.”

The GOP measure, labeled by Trump as a “big, beautiful bill,” appears likely to pass after a series of Republican holdouts flipped their votes overnight. But Jeffries was undeterred, using every second to draw attention to what Democrats argue are devastating impacts to health care and the social safety net.

Democrats in the chamber erupted in applause multiple times throughout his remarks. Jeffries read note after note from constituents who rely on Medicaid, saying their lives and livelihoods were on the line.

“Above all else, I’m thankful for the spirit, the heart and the soul of the American people, who have made it clear to all of us in this institution: Keep your hands off our Medicaid. Keep your hands off our health care,” he said.

According to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Senate version of the bill would cause nearly 12 million Americans to lose health coverage over the next decade. The bill imposes work requirements for able-bodied adults under 65 — a long-standing GOP priority — and restructures the way states finance Medicaid programs.

In addition to slashing health care, the legislation would sharply boost funding for immigration enforcement and the military, while gutting clean energy tax credits enacted during the Biden administration.

Jeffries likened the bill to an all-out assault on vulnerable Americans.

“Republicans are trying to take a chainsaw to Social Security, a chainsaw to Medicare, a chainsaw to Medicaid,” he said. “A chainsaw to the health care of the American people. A chainsaw to nutritional assistance for hungry children. A chainsaw to farm country. A chainsaw to the most vulnerable.”

Beyond health and social programs, Jeffries expanded his speech to target Trump-era tariffs and immigration policies, blasting them as misguided and harmful. He invoked the words of past presidents and the country’s founding documents to frame his argument as a battle for the soul of the nation.

He also took aim at Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and former Trump administration ally who has since distanced himself from the GOP. Jeffries drew a sharp contrast between government subsidies flowing to Musk’s companies and the proposed cuts to social programs like SNAP.

“If Republicans were really serious about eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in America — start there,” Jeffries said, prompting a standing ovation from Democrats.

SpaceX and Tesla, two of Musk’s ventures, have received billions in government contracts and subsidies over the years.

“Don’t rip it from the mouths of children, seniors, or veterans,” Jeffries said, his voice echoing through the chamber.

The White House issued a sharp rebuttal to Jeffries’ marathon remarks, accusing him of obstructing progress.

“He wants America to fail — but @POTUS will ensure America succeeds,” the White House rapid response team posted on X.

Jeffries’ high-profile filibuster-style speech arrives just months after Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., set a Senate record with a 25-hour speech, signaling that Democrats are increasingly turning to the power of the podium to mount their resistance.