


House Republicans say they’ve finally rounded up the GOP support needed to pass President Trump’s sweeping tax cut legislation, but Democrats are using procedural tactics to slow down a final vote.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, has commandeered the House floor with a speech that started just before 5 a.m.
He’s not signaled when he plans to wrap up. His efforts, however, only delay the inevitable passage of the bill, which will mark one of the top legislative victories of Mr. Trump’s career, as well as a major win for House and Senate Republicans, and in particular, Speaker Mike Johnson.
Mr. Jeffries is decrying the legislation’s Medicaid changes, which he claims will kick vulnerable individuals out of the program and result in deaths.
The Medicaid reforms authored by the GOP are aimed at ending benefits for those who are not legal residents and those who are not eligible.
“I’m here today to make it clear that I’m going to take my time and ensure that the American people fully understand how damaging this bill will be to their quality of life,” Mr. Jeffries said.
The GOP leadership stayed up all night flipping enough of the nine Republican holdouts who had refused to advance the measure. They opposed the bill in large part because the GOP-led Senate added more than $1 trillion to the deficit, mostly by making business tax cuts permanent.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.