US: Hakeem Jeffries elected as House Democratic leader

Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries was elected as the new leader of the House Democratic Party, making history as the first Black man to hold such a position. Jeffries would succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who previously announced that she would be stepping down from her leadership position.

Jeffries was unanimously elected by House Democrats Wednesday to become the party’s leader in the incoming Congress in January. Aside from Jeffries, Rep. Katherine Clark was unanimously elected as the House Democratic Whip, while Rep. Pete Aguilar was elected as the Democratic Caucus chair, the position Jeffries is currently serving. Jeffries’, Aguilar’s, and Clark’s election mark the first time in both parties that the top three leadership positions are held by women or people of color.

The elections of the three lawmakers also mark a generational shift from lawmakers such as Pelosi and her colleagues, who are all in their 80s.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Jeffries’ election, saying that he was not surprised that the congressman, who hails from Brooklyn, was chosen. Schumer said that coming from Brooklyn means learning “how to work with all kinds of people. You learn how to stand your ground. You learn to not take things personally.” Schumer added that Jeffries “exemplifies all these traits.”

Jeffries formally announced his bid to become the next party leader on November 18 after 10 years in the House. Jeffries pledged to lead a caucus that would bring back power to committee members and give junior lawmakers more input in drafting legislation.

On the same day, the US Treasury announced that it has complied with a Supreme Court ruling that granted the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain access to former President Donald Trump’s tax returns after an eight-year court battle.

The committee has long-sought the former president’s financial records from 2015 to 2020, saying that it needs the records to determine whether the Internal Revenue Service was properly auditing presidential returns and whether new legislation needs to be passed.

The Democratic-led panel has little time to look into the records until January when the Republicans take control of the House with its slim majority.