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Hakeem Sekou Jeffries (/ ˌ h ɑː ˈ k iː m / hah-KEEM; born August 4, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who has served as House Minority Leader and Leader of the House Democratic Caucus since 2023.
Jun 21, 2023 · Who Is Hakeem Jeffries? Unanimously elected minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries is the first Black lawmaker and the youngest member to lead a party in...
- Kimberly Manning
- Freelance Writer
Mar 27, 2023 · Call it the dual education of Hakeem Jeffries, a charismatic and enigmatic son of both Brooklyn and Big Law, who was shaped as much by hip-hop and the Black Baptist church as by the offices of...
Learn about Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives and a champion of social and economic justice. Find out his biography, achievements, bills, community projects and more.
- Overview
- Early life and education
- Political career
- Personal life
Hakeem Jeffries (born August 4, 1970, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) American Democratic politician who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives (2013– ). The House minority leader from 2023, Jeffries is the first Black person to lead a major party in either house of Congress.
Jeffries is the eldest of two sons born to Laneda (Gomes) Jeffries, a social worker, and Marland Jeffries, a substance-abuse counselor. The family lived in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood. Hakeem Jeffries attended the State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University), where he received a bachelor’s degree in political scienc...
In 2006 Jeffries ran successfully for the New York State Assembly and took office the following year. He was twice reelected to that body. In 2012 he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. Securing broad support, Jeffries easily won the race to represent New York’s 8th congressional district, which includes parts of Brooklyn and the neighbouring borough of Queens. After taking office in 2013, he took particular interest in police and criminal justice reform. He introduced legislation calling for a federal ban on the police use of choke holds following the death of an unarmed Black man, Eric Garner, in July 2014. Garner had died after having a choke hold applied to him during his arrest on Staten Island. Jeffries also championed the First Step Act, which was signed into law in 2018. It aimed in part to improve conditions in federal prisons and to ensure that people convicted of federal crimes were sentenced in a fair and reasonable way. Jeffries served on both the House Judiciary and Budget committees. He was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In 2019 Jeffries became chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, a post that made him the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the chamber. In that role he presided over races for other party leadership posts and helped set legislative priorities for the House Democrats. Toward the end of 2019 the House of Representatives impeached Republican Pres. Donald Trump over allegations that he had withheld aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into opening a corruption investigation into one of his political rivals, Democrat Joe Biden. (Biden ultimately defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.) The Senate impeachment trial was held in early 2020. Jeffries was one of seven lawmakers named by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to serve as impeachment managers during the trial and present the House’s case against Trump. The appointment reflected the fact that Jeffries was an effective messenger, especially known for being highly quotable. Delivering part of the House managers’ closing arguments on February 3, he called for Trump’s removal from office, describing him as “a clear and present danger to our national security.” Two days later, however, Trump was acquitted by the Senate in an almost party-line vote.
Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries, a social worker. The couple has two sons, and the family resides in Brooklyn.
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Jan 3, 2023 · Hakeem Jeffries Takes Over as Leader of House Democrats. A lawyer and disciplined tactician, Mr. Jeffries is the first Black politician to lead either party in Congress.
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Nov 30, 2022 · US lawmaker Hakeem Jeffries has been unanimously elected to succeed Nancy Pelosi as the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives. The four-term New York congressman, 52, has served in...
