Democratic leaders and union officials are preparing to make the Republican-backed budget bill—which passed the House on July 3 and was sent to President Donald Trump to be signed—a centerpiece of their 2026 midterm strategy. They plan to use it to draw contrasts with Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) concluded a marathon floor speech on July 3 after speaking for eight hours and 44 minutes, breaking (by 12 minutes) the previous record set by then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in 2021 and delaying the vote on the bill but not stopping it from going for a vote. Jeffries began just before 5 a.m. ET in a final attempt to delay the vote and rally public attention to the sweeping GOP budget bill backed by Trump. The vote went ahead later that day….
Democrats Plan to Make GOP Budget Bill a Midterm Focal Point
