Hakeem Jeffries voted by Democrats as House minority leader

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Dec 2022 10:29

New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries has been unanimously approved by Democrats to become their new leader as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed she will be stepping down.

New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries elected US House Speaker by Democrats (AP)

Following the declaration that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be stepping down, the House Democrats elected New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries as their new leader in the next Congress earlier on Wednesday.

When the next Congress is inaugurated, early next year, Jeffries, 52, will take over as minority leader, succeeding Pelosi.

Democrats unanimously endorsed Jeffries and two other senior leadership roles by acclamation in a show of solidarity after losing the House.

Humbled to be elected incoming House Democratic Leader.

Ready to get to work.

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) November 30, 2022

The soon-to-be leader announced as he left the conference room behind closed doors: "House Democrats fight for the people. That’s our story. That’s our legacy. That’s our values. That’s our commitment.”

Jeffries will assume the role along with Katherine Clark of Massachusetts serving as whip, and Pete Aguilar of California serving as caucus chair and in charge of messaging.

“Today is a day of transition and hope and a renewal of the shared values of our caucus,” Clark told reporters. As for Aguilar, he said “Having an opportunity to help guide this caucus is a great responsibility and I don’t take it lightly."

The claimed unity of Democrat leaders in the US House stands in sharp contrast to the disjointed House Republican party, which has struggled to rally behind Kevin McCarthy following the midterm elections. McCarthy is seeking to rally enough backing to become Speaker with only a few votes to spare.

McCarthy's precarious control over his caucus and the razor-thin Republican majority margin will probably offer Democrats considerable negotiating power, especially when it comes to key bills that must pass. Jeffries pledged to "get stuff done," saying that although his caucus will search for ways to cooperate with Republicans, it would also "push back against extremism whenever necessary."

It is worth noting that there are some unnoticed and unvoiced worries, as some leftists regard Jeffries with skepticism as a centrist who is pro-business.

Pelosi steps down as Dems leader, not to seek re-elections next term

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on November 17, that she will not seek reelection to a party leadership position in the next Congress.

"There is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and to speak for the people of San Francisco. This I will continue to do as a member of the House," Pelosi said during remarks on the chamber floor.

‘I look forward to the unfolding story of our nation, a story of light and love, of patriotism and progress, of many becoming one’ — Nancy Pelosi as she steps down as Speaker of the House pic.twitter.com/Cqbt2Meoba
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 17, 2022

"And with great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress."

This comes after Democrats lost control of the House in the midterm elections, ending decades of Congressional leadership.

As of October 2022, Nancy Pelosi has an estimated net worth of $120 million. Paul Pelosi, Nancy's husband, has been caught having dealt with five shady companies over the past many years. Interestingly, he has never been charged with criminal conduct.

In 2018, Pelosi placed an end date on her tenure as the top House Democratic leader, scheduling her speakership to end within a four-year period.