Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, becomes the first Black American to be elected leader of a major party in Congress, reports NBC News. The was unanimous in a closed-door session.
Jeffries, along with the election of Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass as minority whip, the party’s top vote counter, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., 43, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as Democratic Caucus chairman, are ushering a new era of Democratic leadership. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that she would be stepping down from House leadership earlier this month.
Although Republicans will have control of the House by a razor-thin margin, Jeffries has vowed to “get things done."
“Today, with immense pride, I stood in front of the House Democratic Caucus as a candidate for Democratic Leader, and I am eternally grateful for the trust my colleagues placed in me with their votes," Jeffries said in a statement.
“This is a moment of transition,” he continued. “We stand on the shoulders of giants, but are also looking forward to being able to do what’s necessary at this moment to advance the issues.”
When asked about the historical significance of being the first Black person to lead either party in Congress, Jefferies hasn’t let it seek in just yet.
“I haven’t really had the opportunity to reflect on that to the extent that I spent any time dwelling on outside narratives or the magnitude of the moment, it would take away from having to make real-time decisions as we prepare to organize for the new Congress," he answered.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jeffries earned his bachelor’s degree at the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University, and graduated magna cum laude at New York University School of Law, according to his biography.
Before entering public service, he practiced law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and served as litigation counsel for CBS and Viacom Inc.
For six years, he served in the New York State Assembly and has represented New York’s Eighth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives since 2013.
In Congress, Jeffries was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the former Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. He also was an Impeachment Manager in the historic first impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
Pelosi praised the new Democratic leaders and expressed gratitude for her time in leadership for over two decades in a statement,
"Together, this new generation of leaders reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our great nation — and they will reinvigorate our Caucus with their new energy, ideas, and perspective," she said.
