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Magic minute
Magic minute
Magic minute
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The magic minute, or leadership minute, is a custom in the United States House of Representatives that allows party leaders to speak for as long as they wish, in contrast with other members, who have to adhere to strict time limits. The convention was notably used by Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, and Hakeem Jeffries in 2018, 2021, and 2025 respectively, to speak for records of over eight hours.

Background

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Speeches one minute in length are allowed before or after legislative sessions every day. The members are asked to stay within a 300 word limit. The speeches are granted with permission from the Speaker.[1] During legislative debate, the bill managers, usually the chairman and ranking members, yield the allotted debate time to members of their caucus ("I yield to the Hon. Member x minutes"). This time-limit is observed and enforced by the Speaker.

The magic minute is distinct from the Senate filibuster.[2] Only the House speaker, majority leader, and minority leader are afforded this privilege and their speeches are considered to have taken the nominal time yielded, regardless of actual length. This has the effect of not taking up other members' allotted times.[3] The House parliamentarian has advised in response to queries regarding time limits that "it is the custom of the House to hear the leader's remarks"[4] and that party leaders had "used a customary amount of time" in answer to parliamentary inquiries about how much time had elapsed since they began speaking.[5]

The magic minute is not a positive rule found in the Rules of the House of Representatives, it is rather a custom of the House.[5]

History

[edit]
Clark dressed in a suit and tie and furry top-hat with an austere expression
Champ Clark, who used the magic minute in 1909

The custom has been used by leaders of both parties. Champ Clark, the minority leader in 1909, spoke for five hours and fifteen minutes against tax reforms; this remained the record for over a hundred years.[6]

In June 2009, minority leader John Boehner spoke for under two hours[α] opposing an energy bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act.[4]

In February 2018,[6] Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi used the magic minute (calling it the "leadership minute")[7] to speak for a then-record of eight hours and seven minutes,[β] calling for legislation protecting DREAMers. Much of the speech was spent reading their letters;[10] the feat was called "pretty darned impressive" by Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who highlighted her use of high heels throughout the speech.[11]

Kevin McCarthy used the magic minute to speak for over eight hours, in 2021

In November 2021, Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy used the magic minute to speak for eight hours and thirty-two minutes, prior to the passage of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill. During the speech, McCarthy mentioned how he became a Republican partly because of President Jimmy Carter's penchant for wearing sweaters[3] and how baby carrots were "just big carrots. They chop 'em and they charge you more and you buy them."[8] Other talking points included how he wished he "could have been in Tiananmen Square and ... there knocking down the Berlin Wall", and how he could not "even afford to test drive a Tesla, and Elon is one of [his] best friends."[9] In the aftermath of McCarthy's speech, breaking the record for longest in the House's modern history, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki remarked that he did not talk about climate change or child care costs, despite the length of the speech.[3]

Hakeem Jeffries used the magic minute to speak for over eight hours, in 2025

On July 3, 2025, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries used his time to delay a house vote on the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a reconciliation measure unanimously opposed by Democratic members of the House and Senate, again breaking the record. Jeffries spoke for eight hours and forty-four minutes.[12]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Magic minute

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The magic minute is an informal tradition in the United States that permits party leaders, such as the Speaker, , or , to extend a nominally one-minute speech into unlimited time at the end of debate or during specific procedural moments. This custom, lacking formal codification in House rules, functions as a mechanism to prolong floor proceedings and influence outcomes, analogous to the but unconstrained by time limits or yield requirements. Leaders have employed the magic minute strategically to delay votes or highlight policy objections, with durations far exceeding the titular minute; for instance, House Minority Leader delivered an extended address exceeding prior benchmarks in October 2025. Earlier, in July 2025, Minority Leader utilized it for over eight hours to oppose a Republican-proposed linked to President Trump's agenda, reading constituent letters and critiquing provisions on and other programs, thereby setting a then-record for length. These marathon speeches underscore the tactic's role in partisan maneuvering, allowing leaders to commandeer the floor without interruption unless they yield or the House adjourns, though it has drawn criticism for potentially obstructing legislative efficiency.

Definition and Procedure

Core Mechanics and Tradition

The magic minute refers to a longstanding custom in the United States whereby designated party leaders, including the Speaker, , and , are afforded an initial one-minute speaking opportunity at the conclusion of on a measure, which permits to extend indefinitely without formal limitation. This practice operates under House procedures for nonlegislative , distinct from structured special orders or unanimous consent agreements, relying instead on the chamber's unwritten norms that discourage interruptions once the leader yields the floor. The mechanism allows the speaker to hold the floor by addressing the chamber at length, effectively postponing votes or procedural motions until they conclude, as no parliamentary rule mandates a strict time cap for these leadership interventions. This emerged from early 20th-century precedents, with its mechanics rooted in the House's flexible approach to , where leaders' to elaborate on positions supersedes routine time constraints applied to rank-and-file members. Unlike the Senate's , which requires active obstruction, the magic minute functions passively through by the majority, as overriding it would demand a motion to table or vacate the floor—steps rarely invoked due to reciprocal expectations across party control cycles. The custom's endurance stems from its utility in permitting substantive advocacy without altering codified rules, though it has drawn scrutiny for enabling prolonged delays absent broad consensus. Historically, the magic minute's tradition crystallized around 1909, when Minority Leader utilized it to deliver a five-hour address opposing tariff legislation, establishing a benchmark for extended leadership oratory that persisted for over a century. Subsequent invocations by leaders of both parties have reinforced its normative status, transforming the nominal one-minute allocation into a strategic tool for influencing legislative momentum, though its informal nature leaves it vulnerable to erosion if ever challenged by a determined majority. This reliance on custom over statute underscores the House's tradition of self-regulation, balancing expedition with minority input in an era of increasing partisan polarization.

Eligibility for Party Leaders

The magic minute, an informal procedural courtesy in the U.S. House of Representatives, is reserved for the elected leaders of the majority and minority parties, granting them unlimited speaking time following the conclusion of structured debate on a bill but prior to final passage. This tradition typically applies to the Speaker of the House (who leads the majority party), the , and the , as these positions confer formal authority to represent their respective caucuses on the floor. Eligibility is not codified in House rules but stems from longstanding custom, whereby the presiding officer recognizes the party leader to claim the extended time without objection from the chamber, reflecting mutual deference among members to avoid eroding procedural norms. In practice, each party is afforded one such opportunity per bill, invoked by its designated leader to extend remarks indefinitely, as demonstrated by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' use on July 3, 2025, during debate on a major reconciliation bill. While primary eligibility rests with the top elected officers—positions filled via internal party elections at the start of each Congress—leaders may occasionally yield to designees, such as whips or committee chairs, though this is rare and depends on unanimous consent or lack of objection. No formal qualifications beyond holding a recognized leadership role are required, and the practice has been upheld across party controls without challenge to its application for these figures since its emergence in the early 20th century.

Historical Origins

Early 20th-Century Emergence

The "magic minute" emerged as an informal custom in the U.S. during the early 20th century, enabling party leaders to speak indefinitely at the end of debate on legislation, thereby extending proceedings beyond standard time limits. This practice allowed leaders to delay votes, amplify partisan arguments, or shape public discourse without formal interruption. The earliest prominent example occurred on March 24, 1909, when House Minority Leader (D-MO) utilized the procedure to oppose the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act. Clark's speech commenced shortly after 11 a.m. and endured for five hours and 15 minutes, concluding after 4 p.m., marking one of the longest floor addresses up to that point. In his marathon oration, Clark criticized the Republican-sponsored bill for failing to deliver on promised reductions, instead imposing higher duties on numerous imports, which he argued betrayed voter expectations for . This extended address delayed final action on the Payne-Aldrich Act, which ultimately passed but contributed to Republican losses in subsequent elections by alienating progressive reformers. The 1909 instance established a for leadership's privileged access to unlimited time, rooted in House traditions granting to figures like the during pivotal debates. Though not yet termed the "magic minute," Clark's use exemplified the tactical extension of a nominal one-minute allotment into prolonged , a flexibility later formalized and named for its seemingly boundless nature. This early application highlighted the procedure's utility in minority opposition, influencing its evolution amid the House's shift toward stricter debate rules in the decades following.

Institutionalization as Custom

The magic minute solidified as a House custom following its early 20th-century applications, particularly through precedent-setting uses that established its procedural legitimacy without formal codification. In 1909, Minority Leader extended a standard one-minute speech into a five-hour address opposing the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, demonstrating the potential for leaders to monopolize floor time at debate's close and thereby delaying votes. This invocation, tolerated by the majority despite its length, marked a pivotal moment in transforming the practice from an occasional flexibility into an accepted tradition reliant on and historical precedent rather than explicit rules. Over the ensuing decades, the custom entrenched itself through bipartisan invocations, evolving into a de facto mechanism for to amplify minority perspectives or defend majority positions in lieu of the Senate's . By the mid-20th century, House procedure manuals and parliamentary references implicitly acknowledged the leaders' for extended remarks post-debate, as the practice's repeated unchallenged use fostered institutional tolerance. Unlike structured debate limits under House Rule XVII, the magic minute's informality—deriving from the chamber's tradition of yielding unlimited time to officers like the Speaker, , and —ensured its persistence as a tool for strategic delay or , invoked sparingly to maintain its potency. This institutionalization reflects the House's preference for flexible customs over rigid statutes, allowing adaptation to political exigencies while preserving order through mutual restraint among leaders. Subsequent high-profile employments, such as those in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, reinforced its status, with no successful challenges altering its availability to party heads. The practice's endurance underscores a causal link between procedural ambiguity and minority leverage, as majorities have historically refrained from curtailing it to avoid reciprocal restrictions when in opposition.

Notable Instances

Champ Clark's 1909 Tariff Opposition

In March 1909, during debate on the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, House (D-MO) employed the magic minute procedure to deliver a prolonged speech opposing the Republican-backed legislation. The Payne-Aldrich bill, introduced by Ways and Means Chairman Sereno Payne, aimed at tariff revision following President William Howard Taft's campaign promise of downward adjustments, but Democrats criticized it for failing to substantially reduce rates and even increasing duties on certain items like woolens and hides. Clark, leveraging his position as , secured to extend his one-minute speech opportunity into an unrestricted address, a custom known as the magic minute that affords party leaders effectively unlimited floor time without formal rules. On March 24, 1909, began speaking shortly after 11 a.m. and continued for five hours and 15 minutes, until just after 4 p.m., focusing on arguments that betrayed promises by maintaining or elevating protective tariffs that burdened consumers and favored special interests. His oration highlighted economic data, such as comparisons to prior tariffs like the Dingley Act, contending that the proposed changes did not achieve genuine reduction and instead perpetuated high duties averaging around 40 percent on dutiable imports. Despite the extended critique, which aimed to rally opposition and delay passage, the approved later that session, with the concurring after amendments; President Taft signed it into law on August 5, 1909. Clark's use of the magic minute exemplified its tactical role in allowing minority voices to amplify against majority-driven , though it failed to alter the outcome, contributing instead to intraparty Republican divisions that aided Democratic gains in the 1910 midterm elections. The speech underscored Clark's stature as a leading Democratic orator, later propelling him to Speaker in , while highlighting the procedure's origins in early 20th-century House practices for leader prerogatives.

Kevin McCarthy's 2021 Speakership Defense

On November 18, 2021, House Minority Leader (R-CA) invoked the magic minute procedure to deliver a record-setting floor speech lasting 8 hours and 32 minutes, from 8:38 p.m. ET until 5:10 a.m. the following day. This extended address delayed a final vote on the Democrats' $1.7 trillion , a social spending and climate bill, by preempting immediate consideration under House rules granting party leaders effectively unlimited speaking time at debate's conclusion. The speech served dual purposes: substantive opposition to the legislation and a demonstration of tenacity amid Republican internal divisions. McCarthy critiqued the bill's fiscal impacts, provisions, and policy priorities, referencing figures like , , and events in and to argue it would exacerbate , reward , and undermine American interests—claims that drew subsequent fact-checks for inaccuracies, such as exaggerated costs for migrant settlements. Earlier that month, McCarthy faced party criticism after 13 Republicans supported a bipartisan bill, fueling doubts from conservative factions like the about his ability to unify and lead aggressively against Democratic initiatives as the presumptive successor to Speaker . By enduring the marathon oration without interruption—surpassing prior records, including Pelosi's 2008 effort—McCarthy aimed to rebut perceptions of moderation and affirm his commitment to confrontational opposition, bolstering his speakership candidacy for the anticipated 2023 Republican majority. The tactic, while procedurally legitimate, prompted Democratic complaints of obstructionism, though the bill ultimately passed the on November 19 by a 220-213 vote, with no Republican support. This instance highlighted the magic minute's utility for minority leaders to amplify dissent and signal resolve to their , even as it extended proceedings without altering the outcome.

Hakeem Jeffries' 2025 Bill Delay

On July 3, 2025, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) utilized the magic minute procedure to deliver a marathon speech opposing a Republican-led $3.4 trillion spending and tax cut package tied to President Donald Trump's agenda, commonly dubbed the "big, beautiful bill." This bill, which had advanced through prior stages, aimed to implement key elements of Trump's economic priorities, including tax reforms and spending reallocations. Jeffries' intervention occurred after general debate concluded, leveraging the unlimited speaking time afforded to party leaders under House rules to postpone the final passage vote. Jeffries' address lasted 8 hours and 44 minutes, surpassing the previous record for the longest floor speech and marking the extended use of the magic minute as a . Throughout the oration, he systematically read letters from constituents across all 50 states who depended on federal benefits programs, highlighting potential adverse effects of the proposed legislation on vulnerable populations. He criticized the bill for favoring tax cuts for high-income earners and corporations while risking cuts to , framing it as a betrayal of working families. The speech proceeded without interruption or questions from colleagues, adhering to the procedural norms of the magic minute, which prohibits interactive debate. The tactic effectively stalled proceedings into the early morning hours, forcing Republicans to delay the vote and providing Democrats additional time to rally opposition or publicize concerns. officials condemned the effort, accusing Jeffries of "bloviating" to obstruct progress and asserting that such delays undermined democratic processes. Despite the prolongation, the bill ultimately proceeded to a vote following Jeffries' conclusion, though the magic minute amplified Democratic messaging against the measure's fiscal implications. This instance underscored the magic minute's role as a minority party tool for procedural resistance in a divided .

Strategic and Tactical Role

Use in Delaying Legislation

The magic minute functions as a by permitting House party leaders to commandeer the floor for an indeterminate duration at the conclusion of structured on a bill, effectively suspending the progression to a vote until the speaker voluntarily yields. This custom, rooted in House rather than codified rule, allocates what is ostensibly a one-minute speech slot to leaders such as the , who can extend remarks indefinitely without facing motions to table or other interruptions, thereby stalling legislative action. In operational terms, the procedure delays bills by monopolizing floor time, preventing the presiding officer from entertaining votes, amendments, or other business while the leader holds recognition. This extension often serves the minority party by amplifying opposition arguments, pressuring majority holdouts through prolonged exposure to critiques, or buying time for external factors like media coverage or constituent feedback to influence wavering members. Unlike the Senate , which requires continuous speaking to obstruct , the magic minute relies on the majority's reluctance to forcibly end a leader's , preserving institutional norms against the risk of reciprocal abuse when parties exchange control. Historically, its deployment has postponed votes by hours or overnight, as seen in instances where speeches exceeded eight hours, forcing recesses or continued sessions that exhaust participants and create opportunities for . The tactic's potency lies in its asymmetry: while the majority controls the agenda, the minority can exploit this leadership privilege to contest rushed or controversial measures, such as omnibus spending or packages, without needing a formal or other procedural hurdles. However, its success in averting passage remains limited, as sustained majority unity typically overcomes the delay once internal cohesion solidifies.

Comparison to Other Procedural Tools

The magic minute functions as an extension of the standard one-minute speech but diverges in scope and enforceability. One-minute speeches allow any Member, upon recognition by the Speaker, to address the chamber for up to 60 seconds at the outset of a legislative day, typically on nonlegislative topics, with time alternating between parties and subject to the Speaker's discretion to limit or deny. In the magic minute, however, party leaders—the Speaker, , and —may extend this nominal one-minute allocation indefinitely through longstanding custom, often lasting several hours, as seen in instances exceeding eight hours without a formal vote to terminate. This leadership privilege, invoked post-debate on a bill, prioritizes strategic extension over the brief, accessible format of ordinary one-minute speeches, which cannot be prolonged similarly for non-leaders. Compared to morning-hour debate, the magic minute offers greater flexibility in timing and duration. Morning-hour debate occurs during a reserved two-hour window immediately preceding the House's daily meeting, permitting speeches up to five minutes each, but requires advance reservation through party leadership and adheres to equal time allocation between parties, concluding with a recess. The magic minute, by contrast, demands no prior scheduling and can interrupt or delay progression to a vote on pending , functioning as an tool rather than a structured early-session . Special order speeches provide another avenue for extended nonlegislative discourse but impose more constraints than the magic minute. These allow individual Members up to , often in coordinated blocks totaling up to four hours after legislative business, yet require pre-arrangement, limit participants to one speech per week, and terminate by 10:00 p.m., emphasizing planned minority messaging over spontaneous intervention. The magic minute's lack of such caps enables prolonged solo advocacy, distinguishing it as a more potent instrument for tactical delay within the House's rules, which generally preclude unlimited debate via the motion. Observers have likened the magic minute to the filibuster as an informal delaying mechanism in a chamber otherwise designed for dispatch, though key disparities exist. The permits any Senator to obstruct proceedings indefinitely until invokes closure, whereas the magic minute restricts this capacity to the 's three top leaders and operates as a customary post-debate extension without equivalent formal safeguards or broad accessibility. Unlike the filibuster's potential for physical endurance tests, the magic minute relies on House tolerance and Speaker policy, allowing majority forces to potentially circumvent it through procedural motions, albeit rarely invoked against leaders. This positions it as a minority preservation tool tailored to House dynamics, absent the Senate's entrenched rule-based obstruction.

Criticisms and Defenses

Claims of Procedural Abuse

Critics have argued that the magic minute procedure enables procedural abuse by allowing minority leaders to monopolize time indefinitely under the of a one-minute allocation, thereby obstructing the majority's legislative agenda without requiring a formal . This contention gained prominence during extended speeches, where leaders read prepared texts or constituent letters to prolong delays, potentially frustrating the House's efficiency while adhering to nominal rules. In October 2021, then-House Minority Leader delivered an 8-hour, 33-minute magic minute speech opposing a Democratic infrastructure bill, prompting accusations of abuse from outlets like The Bulwark, which characterized it as a manipulation of the rule to "story time" rather than substantive debate. McCarthy's tactic involved yielding time intermittently to maintain control but extending remarks far beyond typical practice, leading detractors to claim it undermined procedural norms designed for brevity. Similarly, in July 2025, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries surpassed McCarthy's record with a nearly 9-hour magic minute address criticizing a Republican-backed "Big Beautiful Bill Act," drawing rebukes from conservative commentators who labeled it a "stunt full of crocodile tears" intended to grandstand rather than engage legitimately. The White House echoed this, criticizing Jeffries for using the privilege to stall President Trump's priority legislation, arguing it exemplified Democratic obstructionism despite the procedure's bipartisan precedents. Jeffries' speech, which included reading state-specific constituent impacts, was defended by Democrats as amplifying minority voices but faulted by opponents for exploiting an archaic custom to impose undue delays on a majority-supported measure passed shortly after. Such claims highlight tensions between the rule's intent—to preserve input—and its potential for tactical overreach, with no formal mechanism to curtail speeches absent a or yielding. Proponents of reform argue that unchecked extensions erode trust in House proceedings, though defenders maintain it remains a voluntary tool subject to political repercussions rather than inherent abuse.

Arguments for Minority Voice Preservation

The magic minute functions as a procedural safeguard for the minority party in the , where regular debate is often curtailed by majority control and time constraints, allowing the to extend discourse indefinitely to articulate substantive opposition. This custom, rooted in House practices exempting leadership from standard one-minute limits, enables leaders to dissect bills, expose potential flaws, and rally internal review, as evidenced by its use to scrutinize last-minute legislation for hidden provisions that could disadvantage the minority caucus. Proponents argue it amplifies the minority's influence in a chamber lacking Senate-style filibusters, providing a platform to highlight policy impacts on constituents and pressure for amendments or reconsideration, thereby fostering deliberation over hasty majoritarian decisions. For instance, during Hakeem Jeffries' July 3, 2025, speech opposing a Republican tax-and-spending bill, the minority leader read letters from individuals across states reliant on affected programs, extending remarks for over eight hours to underscore human costs and delay the vote until 1:38 p.m. ET. Similarly, Kevin McCarthy, as minority leader, employed it on November 18-19, 2021, for 8 hours and 32 minutes against a Democratic social spending measure, using the time to critique fiscal implications and gain visibility for Republican alternatives. Historically, this tool has preserved minority perspectives during pivotal debates, such as Champ Clark's 5-hour-15-minute address on March 24, 1909, protesting a Republican tariff overhaul that would raise duties on imports, thereby alerting members and the public to economic burdens on consumers. By permitting such extended advocacy without formal objection, the magic minute upholds a bipartisan tradition that balances efficiency with equity, ensuring the opposition's substantive input shapes legislative outcomes rather than being sidelined.

Broader Implications

Effects on Legislative Efficiency

The magic minute custom permits House party leaders to commandeer the for unlimited durations following general debate on a bill, thereby introducing substantial delays into the legislative timeline and constraining the chamber's capacity to process multiple measures efficiently. For instance, in November 2021, then-Minority Leader extended his allotted minute into an 8-hour-and-32-minute address opposing the , which postponed the final vote and occupied the overnight, disrupting the House's scheduled progression to other business. This usage exemplifies how the procedure can extend individual bill consideration by hours, diverting resources from committee referrals, amendments, or unrelated resolutions that rely on finite daily availability under House Rule XVII. In July 2025, employed the magic minute for 8 hours and 44 minutes to critique President Trump's $3.4 trillion budget reconciliation package, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," thereby stalling final passage and compelling the majority to convene an overnight session, which compounded fatigue among members and staff while halting ancillary proceedings. Such protracted interventions reduce throughput, as the calendar—governed by the Committee on Rules and leadership scheduling—must accommodate these extensions, often squeezing subsequent votes or hearings into compressed windows, particularly during lame-duck sessions or fiscal deadlines. Historically, the tactic's efficiency costs trace to at least 1909, when spoke for 5 hours and 15 minutes against the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, impeding Republican momentum on the measure and illustrating a recurring where minority leverage via extended oratory slows majority-driven agendas without altering outcomes, as votes ultimately proceed post-speech. While no comprehensive quantitative analyses quantify aggregate impacts—such as total hours lost across sessions—the pattern of multi-hour delays in high-stakes contexts suggests a net drag on productivity, as floor time constitutes a scarce resource amid the House's high-volume workload of approximately 600-700 bills introduced per . Critics, including majority leadership in affected instances, contend that these marathons foster inefficiency akin to an informal filibuster, pressuring the chamber to forgo other priorities or risk procedural breakdowns, though the custom's reliance on unanimous consent for termination underscores its role in checking unchecked majoritarianism rather than outright obstruction. Defenders note that efficiency gains from rapid passage must be weighed against the causal risk of unexamined policies, with empirical precedents showing no permanent derailment of bills but temporary halts that amplify public scrutiny.

Bipartisan Precedents and Future Viability

The "magic minute" procedure has been employed by leaders of both major parties to extend debate and delay votes, establishing a for its use regardless of which party holds the minority position. On November 18, 2021, then-House Minority Leader (R-CA) utilized the custom to deliver an 8-hour-and-32-minute speech opposing the , marking the longest such address at the time and preventing an immediate vote on the Democratic spending package. In a parallel instance, House Minority Leader (D-NY) invoked the magic minute on July 3, 2025, speaking for 8 hours and 44 minutes to criticize and stall a Republican-led "megabill" associated with President Trump's agenda, surpassing McCarthy's record and reading constituent letters to underscore opposition. These episodes demonstrate bipartisan application, with Republicans leveraging it against Democratic priorities in 2021 and Democrats against Republican ones in 2025, reflecting its role as a nonpartisan tool rooted in House customs dating back decades for leadership speeches. Earlier precedents further affirm its cross-party utility, as the procedure—informally granting unlimited time to leaders like the Speaker, , or at debate's conclusion—has been available to both sides without formal codification in House rules. For instance, Democratic leaders have historically extended one-minute speeches similarly, though specific durations prior to 2021 are less documented in recent records; the custom's endurance across administrations underscores its acceptance as a mechanism for minority input absent a Senate-style . No procedural reforms have curtailed it post-2021 or 2025 uses, with both parties defending its preservation of debate opportunities. Looking ahead, the magic minute's viability appears sustained by its mutual utility and lack of majority incentives to eliminate it, as the minority party's potential future control incentivizes restraint. Its repeated without rule changes—despite criticisms of delay—suggests ongoing in a polarized , where it enables extended without invoking quorum calls or other disruptions. Analysts note that while efficiency concerns persist, the tool's flexibility for whichever party is out of power likely ensures its persistence, barring a push for stricter time limits, which has not materialized.

References

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  42. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5383764-hakeem-jeffries-house-speech-record/
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