Washington: United States House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has spoken for more than eight consecutive hours in a record-breaking marathon speech protesting a budget deal reached by Senate leaders.
According to CNN, Pelosi said she opposed the spending deal because it doesn’t include a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Pelosi has been sharing statements from DACA recipients about themselves and their successes in the US.
“I have had the privilege of reading the testimony from Dreamers, I still have more,” the California Democrat added, “I thank all of you.”
Pelosi, 77, stood in dark blue, four-inch stilettos the whole time as she read aloud stories of individual immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” and argued the merits of allowing them to stay in the country.
According to the House historian’s office, Pelosi appeared to have set a record for the longest continuous speech in the chamber’s history. The previous record, of five hours and 15 minutes, was set by Rep. Champ Clark, D-Mo., in 1909, reported Fox News.
The Trump administration is phasing out the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which granted temporary work permits for qualifying young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Before Pelosi’s speech, the longest floor remarks from a leader came from then-House GOP Leader John Boehner in 2009 speaking against the Democrats’ cap and trade legislation.
Boehner’s roughly one hour speech was dubbed a “fila-Boehner.”(ANI)