While you were sleeping, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (who loves gavels) broke the speech for longest speech on the House floor. For 8 hours and 33 minutes, McCarthy did his best to prevent a vote on the Build Back Better package, which he labeled the “single most reckless and irresponsible spending bill in our nation’s history.” In doing so, he literally rambled all night long (even longer than an 8-hour Nancy Pelosi speech that previously held the record) and didn’t finish until after 5:00 am on Friday morning. All of this seems like a waste of time (and rest) for nothing, since the vote will happen on Friday anyway, and the speech was truly a sleep-deprived, nonsensical nightmare, in which McCarthy rambled about…. fentanyl?
Yes. Here are some highlights because there’s no way you wanna invest 8 hours in a speech (any speech), period.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tells a bizarre story in which he claims a Chinese general told his “friend in the Senate” that “you’re weak, America, because you believe in God, and you take fentanyl.”
Closing in on hour two of his speech against the Build Back Better Act. pic.twitter.com/gs09kTj0kV
— The Recount (@therecount) November 19, 2021
Nice of @MeidasTouch to compile a highlight reel of Kevin McCarthy’s speech for those of us that went to sleep like normal people pic.twitter.com/hEEyHQruxi
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) November 19, 2021
Well, a pair of Democrats coped by delivering commentary “live from the cloak room.” Leading the charge would be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who broadcast an Instagram Live, in which she and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) dragged McCarthy for saying nothing of importance for 8+ hours. Their video went viral with over 300,000 views overnight and counting. Within the video, AOC and Raskin referred to McCarthy as a failure at being an “evil genius” and more of an “evil… imbecile,” and AOC tweeted a clip as well.
Below, AOC (who called the speech “one of the lowest quality speeches” that she’s ever witnessed) referred to the GOP members who flanked McCarthy as “all these Agent Smiths in the background,” which she sarcastically referred to as “exhibiting the stunning diversity of the Republican party.” Her Twitter caption? “If I have to suffer through Kevin McCarthy’s speech so can you.”
If I have to suffer through Kevin McCarthy’s speech so can you
pic.twitter.com/8c4g3iUb34
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) November 19, 2021
Raskin also took to Twitter, mid-speech, to declare, “It is a feat of epic proportions to speak for four hours straight and not produce a single memorable phrase, original insight or even a joke.” He added, “Never in the field of human conflict were so many words listened to by so few people.”
It is a feat of epic proportions to speak for four hours straight and not produce a single memorable phrase, original insight or even a joke.
McCarthy thinks he is a wit but so far he has proved he is only half right.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) November 19, 2021
At that point, Raskin had only survived half the tirade. Geez.
Never in the field of human conflict were so many words listened to by so few people.
Good night America—on Friday we pass President Biden’s Build Back Better package and get back to work.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) November 19, 2021
And as Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko wrote on Twitter, “It’s exhausting watching Kevin McCarthy paint with his own feces publicly.” Well, McCarthy’s efforts did nothing but make everyone sleepy. The House will meet for a Friday vote on the Build Back Better package.
It’s exhausting watching Kevin McCarthy paint with his own feces publicly. I hope everyone has a good night.
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 19, 2021