House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke more than eight hours straight during a House speech, in his bid to stop Democrats from passing the social spending bill.
A speech that started at 8:38 p.m. Thursday night continued till 5:10 a.m Friday morning, breaking the record of the House’s longest speech to date.
Kevin McCarthy schooled Democrats for eight hours straight
Democrats geared up to vote for the social spending bill in Congress, but Kevin McCarthy took the floor to stop them from doing so.
An eight hour long rhetoric of McCarthy counted Biden’s failures; it also listed down the disadvantages of the bill for which Democrats gathered in the House.
Before starting the speech, McCarthy clearly indicated he was angry. Then, several hours later, he told his fellow Congress members he was not going to stop anytime soon.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy broke Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s record for the longest House speech in modern history. He spoke for eight hours and 32 minutes in opposition to the Democrats’ social policy bill.https://t.co/2DUNazsglW
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 19, 2021
The GOP leader called Biden’s bill governmental overspending, noting it will add to inflation that has already risen to a 31 year high.
While moving from one topic to another, Democrats hoped every minute that McCarthy’s speech would end soon. Yet, he continued for a long time, resulting in lawmakers leaving the House.
Ranging from the persisting immigration crisis to rising Chinese ambitions; from Lincoln’s presidency to the Jim Crow era of voter suppression, McCarthy touched on all the persisting, historical issues, not to mention his childhood in California.
McCarthy invited Democrats to join the GOP in denouncing the social spending bill.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tells a bizarre story in which he claims a Chinese general told his "friend in the Senate" that "you’re weak, America, because you believe in God, and you take fentanyl."
Closing in on hour two of his speech against the Build Back Better Act. pic.twitter.com/gs09kTj0kV
— The Recount (@therecount) November 19, 2021
Before this speech, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the record of the longest speech of the House, which she delivered in 2018 during Trump’s tenure.
McCarthy is one of the strongest contenders to capture Pelosi’s seat if Republicans gain the House majority in the next year’s midterm elections.
McCarthy is looking to be next House Speaker
Kevin McCarthy’s speech was supposed to be one of the concluding speeches from any House member before the final vote for the bill; however, it turned out to be the longest one.
Most concluding floor speeches last hardly for minutes; however, the party leaders have the prerogative to speak as long as they want without any official disturbance.
While most Democrats criticized McCarthy for the speech, some others endorsed him as well.
Sheila Jackson, a Democrat congresswoman from Texas, called McCarthy a “tough guy,” accepting he had the right to make such a speech.
However, she noted the people of her district badly wanted the benefits given under the social spending bill.
It is also widely believed this overnight speech from McCarthy was his bid to his fellow Republican colleagues to vote for him as House Speaker, if the GOP makes a breakthrough next year.
It should be noted McCarthy tried to get to the seat in the past, but fell short of the support needed.
