Hakeem Jeffries of New York has been chosen by Democrats to lead their caucus in the House of Representatives, one of the two branches of the United States Congress. Following a Wednesday unanimous decision, he was appointed, which was historic. A Black politician has never before been chosen as a party leader in the US Congress.
For the first time since 2018, Hakeem Jeffries will serve as the leader of a Democratic party. Following the vote on Wednesday, Jeffries declared in a speech that the party would cooperate with Republicans. But he added that Democrats would “push back against extremism whenever necessary”.
Presenting a unified front
Hakeem Jeffries identifies as a progressive. Jeffries emphasized his dedication to causes like racial justice, gun violence, and reproductive rights in a letter to his colleagues requesting their support for his run for House Leader.
In an email to Al Jazeera, Andy Eichar, the communications director for Jeffries’ office, said that Hakeem Jeffries has advocated for criminal justice reform across party lines and that he would defend healthcare against “right-wing attacks.”
In the discussion concerning the Democratic Party’s future, Hakeem Jeffries has taken a more conservative stance, and it is anticipated that he will use this position to defeat challenges from the party’s more liberal left flank.
For instance, Hakeem Jeffries declared in an interview with The Atlantic that he would never “bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism.” He also actively backed Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, when she faced off against self-described democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries.
On Wednesday, Hakeem Jeffries, who was advocating for a unified front, conceded that talks inside his party may become “noisy.”
But, he said, “as we showed time and time again on issue after issue after issue, at the end of the day we always come together.”
Support for Israel
Hakeem Jeffries is also anticipated to maintain US ties with Israel in his new position. For instance, Jeffries disputed a study from the human rights organization Amnesty International that charged Israel with committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians in a statement issued in February.
The allegations were described as “demonstrably untrue, hazardous, and intended to isolate Israel in one of the hardest neighborhoods in the world,” according to the statement.
Pro-Israel advocacy organizations like AIPAC were among Hakeem Jeffries’ top backers, according to the group tracking campaign donations called Open Secrets. Numerous Republicans who sought to reverse or invalidate the results of the 2020 election were also supported by AIPAC.
Looking ahead to the 2024 elections
For Democrats to retake control of the House of Representatives in 2024, Hakeem Jeffries must also mobilize the party. In 2020, Democrats took over the White House and won majorities in both houses of the US Congress. However, following the recent midterm elections, Republicans gained the majority of seats in the House; new members will take office on January 3.
However, Democrats were able to keep their narrow Senate control. Hakeem Jeffries referred to regaining control of the House as “our #1 non-governmental priority” in a letter from November.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Leader from California and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, will be Hakeem Jeffries’ opponent in this contest. When the next Republican-majority House convenes in January, McCarthy will take over as Speaker.
Hakeem Jeffries adopted a strong tone during a press conference on Wednesday, promising to “get stuff done” despite leading a party that is in the minority.
“We’re going to fight hard,” said Hakeem Jeffries. “Each and every day we have this honor to serve in Congress and deliver.”