US politician Nancy Pelosi delivered an eight-hour 'filibuster' to call for a vote on protecting 'Dreamer' immigrants facing the threat of deportation.

Without taking a break and wearing four-inch heels throughout her speech, the 77-year-old Democrat quoted from the Bible and Pope Francis during her record-long address in the House of Representatives.

She spent much of her talk reading letters from Dreamers - undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children - whose protection from deportation is set to expire next month.

They were previously protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) scheme, which is being ended by President Donald Trump.

Historians confirmed Ms Pelosi had carried out the longest continuous speech in the chamber - surpassing the previous record of five hours and 15 minutes in 1909.

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Her press team described it as "filibustering", although it did not technically obstruct specific legislation being passed.

:: Do you know what filibustering us? Probably not if you're a millennial, poll finds

The House Democratic leader started speaking at around 10am and completed her speech at 6.11pm to a standing ovation from around 50 Democrats left in the chamber.

At around the sixth hour of her speech, Ms Pelosi said: "You see, these people are being deported. We can do something today to at least make whole the children."

Speaking to reporters afterwards, she added: "We achieved the recognition of what the Dreamers mean to America. They are a reflection of all the immigrants that have come before."

Image: Ms Pelosi's speech was the longest continuous speech in the chamber

In the US Senate, where long speeches are more common, the late South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond holds the record after delivering a speech lasting 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Ms Pelosi's speech came as senate leaders agreed a two-year budget deal which they hope will avoid another government shutdown.

The latest deal still has to pass the House, however, and many Democrats are expected to oppose it as it does not contain specific protections for Dreamers.</s>The US House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, spoke for eight hours on the House floor telling stories about undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, who are known as Dreamers. She wants them to be protected as part of a budget deal agreed this week. She broke the record for the longest continuous speech in the House since at least 1909</s>WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi created history by speaking continuously for more than eight hours in the lower chamber - the longest address in at least 108 years.



Pelosi's protest was designed to draw attention to the plight of the young immigrants facing deportation, who are known as Dreamers.



Their status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy is in jeopardy after March 5.



She was against a compromise federal budget deal that does not address the sensitive issue.



Although other lawmakers praised her marathon speech, it failed to produce the desired result as House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to bring up bipartisan immigration legislation to protect Dreamers to the floor for a vote.



The 77-year old veteran California Democrat started her speech at 10:04 am and yielded the floor at 6:11 p.m.



Pelocy's day-long speech in four-inch heels and consuming nothing but water ended precisely eight hours and seven minutes after she began.



'I just got word that the House historian confirms that you have now set the record for the longest continuous speech in the House since at least 1909,' said Pelosi, reading aloud a message from a clerk.



Party leaders are allowed to speak as long as they wish in the House, and as minority leader, Pelosi was taking advantage of that rule.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX</s>The California Democrat spoke for more than 8 hours before yielding the floor. It was the longest continuous speech since at least 1909.

And she did it all while wearing 4-inch high-heels.

Pelosi got the news of her new record while continuing to tell stories of DREAMers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States when they children. Her all-day remarks are aimed at protesting a budget deal that doesn't include protections for the group.

While laughing, Pelosi announced that she'd broken a record and said she wondered what the last record-breaking speech was about. A round of applause broke out from her colleagues.

More: Nancy Pelosi has been telling DREAMer stories for 7 hours. And she’s still talking

Pelosi started speaking at 10:04 a.m. and stopped shortly after 6 p.m. While her speech was an act of protest, it wasn't a filibuster.

That move is used in the Senate to delay or block legislation, and there isn't a House equivalent.

House members are usually only given one minute to make remarks but Pelosi used her unlimited, "magic" minute, available only to party leaders to tell stories of those who aspire to become U.S. citizens.

She also spoke about the Declaration of Independence, the country's founders and prayer.

The 1909 speech was made by James Beauchamp “Champ” Clark, a prominent Democrat from Missouri. He served as Speaker of the House and unsuccessfully sought the democratic nomination for President in 1912.

His speech lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes and took aim at a tariff called the Payne-Aldrich Act, which lowered tariffs but raised rates on some resources like coal and iron.</s>Nancy Pelosi stages record-breaking, 8-hour House speech in push for vote on 'Dreamers'

US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has staged a record-breaking, eight-hour speech, taking in Pope Francis and the Bible in a bid to try and force a vote on the Dreamers program.

Ms Pelosi's marathon filibuster eclipsed the previous record, held by Republican Champ Clark, who delivered a five-hour, 15-minute speech about tariff reform in 1909.

The office of the House historian confirmed it was the longest continuous speech in the chamber on record.

Forgoing any breaks, Ms Pelosi spent much of the rare talkathon reading personal letters from the young immigrants whose temporary protection from deportation is set to expire next month.

The California Democrat quoted from the Bible and Pope Francis as Democrats took turns sitting behind her in support.

Her remarks seemed partly aimed at the liberal wing of her own party, which has been left seething after Senate Democrats cut a budget deal with Republicans that could quickly steal the momentum behind the effort to resolve the Dreamers' plight.

The wide-ranging budget accord says nothing about renewing the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, called DACA, which temporarily shields Dreamers — hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country as children and living here illegally — from deportation.

Ms Pelosi said she would oppose the budget deal unless GOP leaders agreed to hold a House vote on helping the Dreamers.

But top Democrats said they weren't corralling rank-and-file representatives to oppose the budget pact, leading some of the party's immigration advocates to question the forcefulness of her opposition.

"I'm going to take everything she says at face value," said Democrat Luis Gutierrez. "And then hopefully tomorrow she will validate that trust by stopping us from voting for it. If she doesn't, then it was a nice speech."

The performance had no immediate impact on Republican leaders who have not agreed to a vote.

While she spoke on the House floor, immigration activists rallied in Washington and threatened political retribution against the congressional Democrats who abandoned the strategy of demanding that a budget deal be paired with an immigration deal.

Ms Pelosi started her remarks about 10:00am (local time) and yielded the floor at 6:11pm.

Under chamber rules, the speaker, majority leader and minority leader can speak for unlimited amounts of time.

By the end of the marathon, the clearest signs of weariness were an occasional quiver in her voice, a stumble over her words and a case of the sniffles.

At one point she interrupted herself to read a note from the House historian alerting her that she delivered the longest continuous speech.

As Ms Pelosi wrapped, she received a standing ovation from the Democrats.

Clearly tired, she at times struggled for the words to express her thanks.

"Honour the House of Representative and give us a chance to have a vote on the floor," she said.

At issue is the fate of about 1.8 million immigrants brought to the country as children and living there illegally.

Many of the Dreamers could lose protection from deportation — granted by the Obama administration in 2014 and rescinded by Mr Trump last year — in the coming weeks.

No issue is more important to the Democratic Party's most passionate voters, who insist their party must reject any budget deal that doesn't protect the young immigrants — even if it means risking a second government shutdown this year.

The US Government will close non-essential operations on Thursday at midnight unless Congress passes a spending plan.

It is unclear whether the liberal outrage will sink the two-year, nearly $US400 billion budget deal, unveiled on Wednesday, that would provide Pentagon and domestic programs with huge spending increases.</s>Nancy Pelosi stood for eight hours to tell the stories of immigrants in the US Congress

Nancy Pelosi has broken the record for the longest continuous speech in Congress in an effort to force a vote on protection for DACA recipients on Wednesday.</s>Nancy Pelosi has broken the record for the longest continuous speech in Congress in an effort to force a vote on protection for DACA recipients on Wednesday.

The Democrat speaker of the House of Representatives used much of the speech – which lasted more than eight hours – to read personal letters from the young immigrants whose temporary protection from deportation is set to expire next month.

The DACA programme has been under threat since September when the Trump administration declared its intention to scrap the protections for 800,000 childhood immigrants. In January, a court blocked the attempt, saying it must stay in place until legal challenges to it have been heard.

The 77-year-old’s supporters took to Twitter, using the hashtag #GoNancyGo to support her efforts.

Republican supporters were not as enamoured with Pelosi’s actions.

“You see, these people are being deported,” Ms Pelosi said, at around the sixth hour of her speech. “We can do something today to at least make whole the children.”

Pelosi began her remarks at about 10am and yielded the floor at 6.11pm, delivering the longest continuous speech on record in the history of Congress. She bested Republican Champ Clark’s five-hour, 15-minute stem-winder about tariff reform in 1909.</s>US politician Nancy Pelosi is thought to have set a new record for the longest speech ever made in the House of Representatives, after telling the stories of immigrants for eight hours, the BBC reports.

Ms Pelosi was advocating on behalf of undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, known as “Dreamers”.

She wants them protected as part of a budget deal being agreed this week.

The House minority leader began her speech at 10:04 local time (15:04 GMT) – and did not finish until the evening.

Dreamers were previously protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals scheme – something which was ended by President Donald Trump last year.

“Every day, courageous patriotic Dreamers lose their status, every day the American Dream slips further out of reach,” Ms Pelosi told assembled lawmakers.

“As members of Congress, we have a moral responsibility to act now to protect Dreamers who are the pride of our nation and are American in every way but on paper.”

She then shared dozens of personal stories from the immigrants facing deportation, effectively halting business in the House of Representatives in protest.</s>House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi staged a record-breaking eight-hour speech on Wednesday in an attempt to force a House vote on protections for the “Dreamer” immigrants — and to prove to an increasingly angry wing of progressives and activists that she has done all she could.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi staged a record-breaking eight-hour speech on Wednesday in an attempt to force a House vote on protections for the “Dreamer” immigrants — and to prove to an increasingly angry wing of progressives and activists that she has done all she could.

The California Democrat quoted from the Bible and Pope Francis, as Democrats took turns sitting behind her in support. The Office of the House Historian said it was the longest continuous speech in the chamber on record. “You see, these people are being deported,” Ms Pelosi said, at around the sixth hour of her speech. “We can do something today to at least make whole the children.”

The performance had no immediate impact on Republican leaders, who have not agreed to a vote. Just seeing all of these #GoNancyGo messages. Truly very moving. But let's not lose focus of who really matters here. Thank you to our #Dreamers. And thank you to your parents for allowing us all the pleasure of having you be a part of our American family every day. #DREAMActNow — Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 7, 2018 But it was perhaps equally aimed at the liberal wing of Ms Pelosi’s own party, who seethed on Wednesday as Democrats in the Senate cut a budget deal that could quickly steal the momentum behind the effort to resolve the Dreamers’ plight.

While she spoke on the House floor, immigration activists rallied in Washington and threatened political retribution against the congressional Democrats who abandoned the strategy of demanding that a budget deal be paired with an immigration deal. The fresh threats exposed deepening divisions within a Democratic Party struggling to address a liberal priority in Republican-controlled Washington.

The activists who filled a Washington church on Wednesday, like liberal leaders nationwide, called out Ms Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer by name. Some scoffed at Ms Pelosi’s speech, intended to elicit a promise from House Speaker Paul Ryan to allow a vote on subsequent legislation to protect the younger immigrants. Mr Ryan’s promise, activists noted, was far from a guarantee.

By the end of the marathon, the clearest signs of weariness were an occasional quiver in her voice, a stumble over her words and a case of the sniffles. At one point she interrupted herself to read a note from the House historian alerting her that she had delivered the longest continuous speech, besting Republican Champ Clark’s five-hour, 15-minute stem-winder about tariff reform in 1909. As Ms Pelosi wrapped up, she received a standing ovation from the Democrats. A bit punchy and clearly tired, she at times struggled for the words to express her thanks.

“Honour the House of Representative and give us a chance to have a vote on the floor,” she said. At issue is the fate of roughly 1.8 million immigrants brought to the country as children and living here illegally. Many of the so-called “Dreamers” could lose protection from deportation — granted by the Obama administration in 2014 and rescinded by Donald Trump last fall — in the coming weeks.

No issue is more important to the Democratic Party’s most passionate voters, who insist their party must reject any budget deal that doesn’t protect the young immigrants — even if it means risking a second government shutdown this year. The federal government will shutter non-essential operations at midnight on Thursday unless Congress passes a spending plan. It is unclear whether the liberal outrage will sink the two-year budget deal unveiled on Wednesday that would provide Pentagon and domestic programmes with huge spending increases.</s>U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke for eight hours on the House floor where she recounted stories from the so-called Dreamers who were brought to the United States illegally as children.

READ MORE: U.S. Senate announces ‘breakthrough’ 2-year budget deal, no mention of Dreamers

It was the longest continuous speech in the U.S. House, breaking the previous record which was set in 1909, according to the Office of the House Historian. Her marathon speech was intended to protest the budget deal that does not include protections for Dreamers.

Pelosi said she would not support a budget caps agreement unless House Speaker Paul Ryan promised to advance legislation to protect young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

“Give us a chance to have a vote on the floor,” Pelosi said. “Let us thank and acknowledge the Dreamers for their courage, their optimism and their inspiration to make America more American.”

Pelosi said the deal currently includes increases in defense and non-defense spending, as well as funding for disaster aid. Congress must approve a spending bill by Thursday to avert a second government shutdown this year.

WATCH: ‘Budget deal should be a budget deal’: WH on adding immigration
Nancy Pelosi breaks the record for the longest speech in the United States House of Representatives. The 77-year-old Democrat spoke for eight hours non-stop, pleading for a vote to protect "Dreamer" immigrants who illegally immigrated and face the threat of deportation.