The Democrats’ win in the House of Representatives in the US midterm elections is set to open a new chapter in American political history. Hakeem Jeffries, 56, an influential Democratic leader, is set to lead the 435-member lower chamber of Congress and become the first Black speaker in the country’s history. If all goes to plan, he will be formally sworn in as speaker in January.
Under the US Constitution, the speaker stands second in the line of presidential succession, immediately after the vice president. As the chamber’s chief agenda-setter, the speaker has the final say on which bills are brought to the floor for a vote and which are stopped at the outset.
After his own victory in New York’s 8th congressional district was confirmed, Jeffries said in a victory speech: “Today America’s great comeback begins. With their verdict, the American people have made clear that they will no longer tolerate extremism and corruption; they want a Congress that works for ordinary people.”
From lawyer to the top of the House
Before entering politics full time, Jeffries worked as a corporate lawyer. He was first elected to Congress in 2013. His work on the House Judiciary Committee quickly won him the trust of the Democratic Party’s senior leadership.
He played a prominent role in 2020 during the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose him as one of the Democrats’ impeachment managers, who presented the case against Trump at his Senate trial. That fight brought him to national attention.
Working people’s economics, and blunt words for Trump
According to people close to him, Jeffries’s main political aim is to put the economic concerns of ordinary working people back at the centre of the Democratic Party’s agenda. He has long argued for lowering the cost of living, reining in the prices of everyday goods and raising taxes on the wealthy.
He is also known for his uncompromising stance against the Republicans and Trump. When Trump once mocked his intelligence, Jeffries hit back, calling Trump the dumbest person ever to sit in the White House: a weak, erratic, failed, conspiracy-spreading old president.
A hard test, and room for compromise
Jeffries will face major political challenges once he takes up the post. Trump recently declared himself “Mister Veto”, raising the prospect that any public-welfare bill passed by the Democrat-controlled House could be vetoed by the president.
Jeffries has, however, signalled that he is open to compromise where needed. In an interview he said that solving problems is the Democrats’ main responsibility, and that this may mean sitting down with the other side.
Political analysts say that with the White House out of Democratic hands, the new speaker’s greatest test will be to pass important legislation across party lines while keeping the very high expectations of newly elected progressive Democrats in line with what is achievable.
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