House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delayed the passage of President Joe Biden’s social spending package after embarking on an hours-long floor speech that lambasted the bill and Democrats for an array of issues.
The speech began as the House concluded debate on the sweeping budget Thursday night and proceeded to so-called “magic minutes,” which allow three members — the speaker, majority leader and minority leader — to speak for unlimited amounts of time. McCarthy began speaking at 8:38 p.m. and was nearing the fourth hour of his speech at 12:22 a.m. Friday when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the House would push the vote to Friday morning.
McCarthy concluded at 5:10 a.m., speaking for eight hours and 32 minutes, beating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s eight-hour, seven-minute magic minute speech in 2018.
McCarthy was initially interrupted as he spoke, and repeatedly called on the presiding officer to bring order to the floor. Several Democrats responded, while others left the floor and live-tweeted his speech. (RELATED: Republicans Agree With Democrats That Biden’s Budget Is ‘Transformational’)
This speech by @GOPLeader is the longest month of my life.
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) November 19, 2021
We are hearing rumors that the front row of GOP hostages behind Kevin McCarthy are asking whether they can just be censured instead.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) November 19, 2021
“It’s okay. I’ll be here a long time,” McCarthy responded over two hours in, looking at Democrats. “I think I’m upsetting other people on the other side of the aisle by telling them what’s in the bill. They just yelled at me that they’re leaving.”
McCarthy at one point urged the chair to remove Democrats who talked, invoking their decision to strip Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of his committee seats Wednesday.
While McCarthy alleged that Democrats’ budget was a “reckless” bill that would risk ending the country as we know it, much of the speech addressed unrelated topics including Elon Musk, former President Jimmy Carter, swimming, Venezuela and more.
“It’s a really bad bill and Leader McCarthy is going to make the case why it’s bad for America,” his spokesman told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Democrats moved to pass the bill Thursday after the Congressional Budget Office scored it, clearing a prerequisite for several moderates in the party. It follows the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed the House on Nov. 5 and was signed into law Monday.
The House came back into session at 8 a.m. Friday, with Pelosi beginning her magic minute speech. “As a courtesy to my colleagues, I will be brief,” she said.
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