The Hill News

House Democratic leaders held open the vote on the 9/11 first responders bill for an hour and 20 minutes late Wednesday to give one lawmaker the opportunity to cast her vote.

By 5 p.m., the vote had reached a decisive 204-60 tally in favor of the bill, but the Speaker waited until New York Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez cast her vote at 5:34 p.m. to gavel it closed.

For more than 30 minutes, a handful of Democratic and Republican lawmakers and staffers milled about the House floor until GOP Rep. Steve Austria (Ohio) and Velazquez cast their votes. Moments after Velazquez voted, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rapped the vote closed with a bang of her gavel.

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