Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, an 81-year-old Democrat, took a hard fall Thursday morning on the House floor during a speech attacking President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” — a moment that symbolized the exhaustion and dysfunction gripping the Democrat caucus.
Schakowsky had just begun another round of partisan grandstanding when she reportedly lost her balance and fell. She was speaking during the heated floor debate after days of around-the-clock negotiations.
The incident happened just before House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries began his now-infamous marathon speech intended to delay final passage of the bill.
Jeffries invokes “magic minute” stunt
Jeffries, employing the House’s so-called “magic minute” rule, began speaking at 5 a.m. EST and continued for hours. As long as he remains standing and speaking, his time is unlimited.
Aides reportedly stacked multiple binders of scripted remarks in front of him to prolong the stall tactic.
While he droned on, other Democrat lawmakers appeared slumped and barely conscious in the background — some with their eyes closed and heads bowed.
The age problem Democrats can’t shake
Schakowsky’s fall has only reignited public concern about the aging leadership class in Washington, a subject that exploded after President Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance and subsequent withdrawal from the race.
Though Schakowsky announced earlier this year that she will not seek reelection in 2026, Thursday’s fall is now a glaring reminder of a party struggling to pass the torch.
The Illinois Democrat has served in the House since 1999.
Not the only one showing wear
Schakowsky isn’t the only one buckling under the pressure of overnight sessions.
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Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a 40-year-old New York Republican, missed a critical vote on the bill in May after falling asleep at his desk.
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Rep. Debbie Dingell, 71, reportedly nodded off during a 9 a.m. committee hearing earlier this week.
From “HELL NO” to hard fall
Despite her age and apparent exhaustion, Schakowsky spent part of Wednesday filming an aggressive video blasting the Trump tax package.
“I’m not just a no on Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, I’m a HELL NO!” she shouted, hands on hips.
“This is going to be the most hideous vote… It would absolutely take healthcare away from literally millions of people… When the bill comes up, consider it a crime scene!”
Watch:
I’m not just a no on Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, I’m a HELL NO!
We can’t let the House Floor turn into a crime scene.
If Republicans proceed with stripping health care from 17 million Americans, 51,000 people will die each year. All this to give tax cuts to billionaires. pic.twitter.com/WUcF3Hd7hj
— Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) July 2, 2025
DEMON RATS: HELL incarnate.
TDS and age, with the insane lack of Common Sense, are bringing the left to the cliff.
In New York, the people are ready to voluntarily jump into the bottomless abyss the STUPID muslim communist tyrant want to bring the city into!
And those “very old stupid” DEMON RATS cannot handle the REALITY! Their TDS “disease” has taken away everything that makes a human human.
Common Sense, critical thinking, LOVE of the COUNTRY, which they swore to SERVE! ( not to steal from!)
The only thing they have is their desire to throw away the ONLY Commander in Chief who is bringing the country from the fall they planned for the reward the European hitlerian illuminati promised them, if they could make the USA a UNI PARTY country.
They lost fame, fortune, power, ability to be ” little hitler’s”!