1. Hakeem Sekou Jeffries is an American politician and attorney who has served as House minority leader and leader of the House Democratic Caucus since 2023.
59 Facts About Hakeem Jeffries
1. 2.
Currently in his seventh term, Jeffries has been the US representative for New York's 8th congressional district since 2013 and served three terms as a member of the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012.
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Hakeem Jeffries was born and raised in Crown Heights, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
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Hakeem Jeffries attended law school at New York University, graduating with honors and becoming a corporate lawyer before running for elected office.
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In Congress, Hakeem Jeffries chaired the House Democratic Caucus from 2019 to 2023.
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Hakeem Jeffries grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and is a lifelong member of the Cornerstone Baptist Church.
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Hakeem Jeffries graduated from Midwood High School, a public school, in 1988.
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Hakeem Jeffries then studied political science at Binghamton University, graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors.
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Hakeem Jeffries continued his education at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, earning a Master of Public Policy degree in 1994.
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Hakeem Jeffries then attended New York University School of Law, where he was a member of the New York University Law Review.
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Hakeem Jeffries was elected and reelected, serving in the New York State Assembly for a Brooklyn district from 2007 to 2012.
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In 2007, while still in his first term in the State Assembly, Hakeem Jeffries endorsed and supported Barack Obama, and was among Obama's earliest supporters in Hillary Clinton's home state.
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In 2015, Hakeem Jeffries led the effort to pass the Slain Officer Family Support Act, which extended the tax deadline for people making donations to organizations supporting the families of deceased NYPD detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.
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The families of the officers, who had been killed in their patrol car on December 20,2014, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Hakeem Jeffries's district, had been the recipients of charitable fundraising.
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Hakeem Jeffries said he had "no interest" and wished to remain a member of Congress.
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Hakeem Jeffries played a key role in the House passage of the bipartisan Music Modernization Act, which became law in 2018.
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Hakeem Jeffries has been a long-standing member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
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On November 28,2018, Hakeem Jeffries defeated California congresswoman Barbara Lee to become chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
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Hakeem Jeffries's term began when the new Congress was sworn in on January 3,2019.
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On January 15,2020, Hakeem Jeffries was selected as one of seven House managers presenting the impeachment case against Trump during his trial before the United States Senate.
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On January 22,2020, a protester in the Senate gallery interrupted Hakeem Jeffries by yelling comments at the senators seated a floor below.
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Hakeem Jeffries quickly responded with a scripture verse, Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones", before continuing with his testimony.
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Hakeem Jeffries received 212 votes, all from Democrats, on nearly every ballot.
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When McCarthy was elected speaker, Hakeem Jeffries handed him the gavel after a 15-minute speech.
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On July 31,2024, Hakeem Jeffries announced he had penned an illustrated book, The ABCs of Democracy, to be published on November 12,2024.
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The column ultimately signaled a governing coalition Hakeem Jeffries led from the with reports beginning to describe him as de-facto or shadow Speaker of the House.
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Hakeem Jeffries led negotiations and applauded Democrats for ensuring the WIC program remained untouched, as well as providing rental assistance, a pay raise for firefighters and investments in new air traffic controllers.
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Greene did not rule out forcing another vote to oust Johnson, but the Wall Street Journal wrote that Hakeem Jeffries "flexes power as Mike Johnson flounders".
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Since assuming the role of leader, Hakeem Jeffries has become a prominent fundraiser and operative for the party.
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Hakeem Jeffries deployed his political team and key allies across the district and helped raise $1 million for the special election, holding fundraisers for Suozzi in New York, Washington and elsewhere.
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Hakeem Jeffries had a prime-time speaking slot at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he gave a speech inspired by Psalm 30:5.
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Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Kamala Harris for president and likened Donald Trump to "an old boyfriend".
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Hakeem Jeffries is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and, before becoming caucus leader, was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
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Hakeem Jeffries is noted for his ability to work with Democrats across the caucus and Republicans on shared goals.
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Since taking federal office, Hakeem Jeffries has been called "a rising star".
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Hakeem Jeffries has been appointed to the House Judiciary Committee Task Force on Over Criminalization, and was appointed the whip of the Congressional Black Caucus.
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Hakeem Jeffries plays in the infield on the Congressional Baseball Team.
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Hakeem Jeffries called for a Department of Justice investigation into the circumstances of Eric Garner's death.
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Hakeem Jeffries supports increased background checks for potential gun owners and a ban on assault weapons.
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Hakeem Jeffries reintroduced bipartisan legislation, the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment Act, to create a transparent process for the federal government to establish effective regulations to be enacted upon the termination of the prohibition of cannabis.
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Hakeem Jeffries co-sponsored the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which would end the federal prohibition and criminalization of cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act and facilitate the expungement of low-level federal cannabis convictions while incentivizing state and local governments to do the same.
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Hakeem Jeffries voted to impeach President Donald Trump during both his first and second impeachments in the House.
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Hakeem Jeffries repeatedly called Trump's presidency "illegitimate" due to the Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election.
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Hakeem Jeffries defended the Biden administration's assistance to Ukraine throughout the crisis and voted to send relief.
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Hakeem Jeffries visited Israel for his first trip abroad as House Democratic leader.
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Hakeem Jeffries has been called "one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House".
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Hakeem Jeffries believes Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorism.
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Hakeem Jeffries has traveled to Israel five times since being elected to Congress.
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In 2020, Hakeem Jeffries told an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference that "back home in New York City we consider Jerusalem to be the sixth borough".
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Hakeem Jeffries spoke at the March for Israel on November 14,2023, condemning antisemitism and calling for the safe return of all hostages taken captive by Hamas, and a "just and lasting peace".
51.
In 2000, while a lawyer at Paul Weiss, Hakeem Jeffries challenged incumbent assemblyman Roger Green in the Democratic primary.
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Hakeem Jeffries criticized Green for inattentiveness to his constituents' needs and preoccupation with pursuing higher office after the incumbent had run for New York City Public Advocate in 1997 and had spoken of his plans to run for Congress upon the retirement of Edolphus Towns.
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Hakeem Jeffries was still legally permitted to run in the district for the 2002 cycle, as state law requires only that a candidate live in the same county as a district they seek in the first election after a redistricting, but this complicated his path and left Hakeem Jeffries unable to challenge Green in the 2004 Democratic primary.
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In January 2012, Hakeem Jeffries announced that he would give up his Assembly seat to run for the US House from.
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Hakeem Jeffries was supported by a broad coalition of local leaders from across the district.
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Hakeem Jeffries was reelected to the House in 2014 without opposition.
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Hakeem Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Hakeem Jeffries, a social worker with 1199 SEIU's Benefit Fund.
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Hakeem Jeffries's younger brother, Hasan Kwame Hakeem Jeffries, is an associate professor of history at Ohio State University and the author of Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama's Black Belt.
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Hakeem Jeffries has said he only has a "vague" recollection of the events.