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ARTICLE · 19 OCTOBER 2023

Magic Minute

A procedural rule that allows leadership of both the majority and minority parties in the House of Representatives to have unlimited speaking time at the end of debate. 

United StatesStrategy

A procedural rule that allows leadership of both the majority and minority parties in the House of Representatives to have unlimited speaking time at the end of debate.  

Remember the Time

As debate concludes on legislative business, the speaker, majority leader, and minority leader can be recognized for a "magic minute." Despite the name, the magic minute gives the chamber's three highest-ranking officials unlimited time and an unrestricted platform. This unique power is not formally codified in the House rules originally set by Thomas Jefferson. Instead, the magic minute is a tradition of the House often used as a type of substitute for the Senate's filibuster.

Time After Time

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