House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi just broke a record for giving a powerful speech on the House floor this week in defense of Dreamers. For eight hours, she shared personal stories of Dreamers who have written to their representatives, The Cut reports.
The speech was in response to a spending bill that does not include protections for Dreamers—people brought to the U.S. illegally as children who are protected under the Obama-era DACA program. With Congress under pressure to pass the bill in order to avoid another government shutdown, Pelosi said she wouldn't vote for the bill unless Speaker Paul Ryan were to pledge his consideration of legislation to protect Dreamers.
Since President Trump has been in office, there has been extreme uncertainty for Dreamers due to his opposition to DACA. Pelosi took matters into her own hands by making an eight-hour speech on the House floor in an effort to block the bill that does not include protections for Dreamers. Because of her position as House Minority Leader, Pelosi was allowed to speak for as long as she wanted, despite the fact that filibusters are not allowed in House. The 78-year-old used that privilege to give the longest continuous speech in the House on record (and the internet praised her for doing it all in four-inch heels).
Though it's unclear what will happen next, The Cut reports that the White House and Republican leaders would like to see a debate on immigration after this bill passes. There's no doubt that Pelosi will be there to give a voice to the more than three million Dreamers currently living in America.
