McCarthy Breaks Pelosi Record With Over 8 1/2 Hour Floor Speech, Delaying Vote On ‘Build Back Better Act’

Last night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives was poised to vote on the Build Back Better Act, the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate deal, but at 8:37 p.m. est., according to sources, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy began an over 8 1/2 hour speech to stall the vote and voice his concerns about the bill.

The speech broke a record for the longest speech given on the House floor that Pelosi set in 2018, with an eight-hour and seven-minute speech, as it ended at 5:10 a.m.

Pelosi’s 2018 speech about DACA was given during the day, not in the dead of night, although it was noted at the time that she wore 4-inch heels while giving it.

McCarthy also had tweets sent out during his speech, highlighting important parts of it and sharing the live stream.

The last tweet was sent out at 4:43 a.m. and said, “Democrats rejected roughly 600 common-sense amendments from Republicans on their Build Back Better agenda.”

“They decided they’d rather go it alone with their one party rule. So 8 hours in, I’m reading through many of those amendments,” McCarthy added.

Democrats rejected roughly 600 common-sense amendments from Republicans on their Build Back Better agenda. They decided they’d rather go it alone with their one party rule.

So 8 hours in, I’m reading through many of those amendments. https://t.co/OCJJ0XaXzU

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 19, 2021

The Associated Press reported that the House is set to return after dawn today and will try again to pass the package, sending it to the Senate.

Democrats in the House attempted to make light of McCarthy’s speech all night with tweets, some of which included attempts at humor.

Just before McCarthy broke Pelosi’s record, U.S. House Rep Eric Swalwell tweeted, “@SpeakerPelosi still holds record for longest Floor speech (in English).”

#BREAKING @SpeakerPelosi still holds record for longest Floor speech (in English).

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 19, 2021

Republicans in the House also tweeted about the speech in support of McCarthy and some stayed on the floor, even until the end.

U.S. House Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) praised McCarthy in a tweet but also had a message as she said, “Hopefully when @GOPLeader finishes his strong speech against the Democrat communist takeover of America, he takes action to hold the unlucky 13 accountable for making the horrific BBB vote possible tonight. Kick the traitors out of @HouseGOP, & lead. #ActionsSpeakLouder.”

Hopefully when @GOPLeader finishes his strong speech against the Democrat communist takeover of America, he takes action to hold the unlucky 13 accountable for making the horrific BBB vote possible tonight.

Kick the traitors out of @HouseGOP, & lead.#ActionsSpeakLouder

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) November 19, 2021

Earlier, we reported:

During the speech, a Congresswoman identified as member of “The Squad” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) briefly interrupted it.

According to MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin, McCarthy quipped during his speech that U.S. House Rep Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) “said nobody elected Biden to be FDR.”

From the back of the audience, Ocasio-Cortez yelled “I did.”