Congressional rules call for a brief, general response to the president's address.
But after Zedillo painted a picture of a country with a solid economy and growing democracy, Medina launched a 25-minute speech accusing the president of failing to meet his obligation to keep Congress informed of the real state of the country. He proceeded to attack the government's record on education, crime, an Indian uprising in the south and corruption. He also denounced the government's failure to provide documents sought by the opposition-led Congressional House in its investigation of Mexico's giant bank bailout. Medina's speech was repeatedly interrupted by governing party legislators, who screamed at him to stop, and by opposition lawmakers, who chanted their support. After the speeches, members of the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, said they would try to have Medina removed from his leadership post.