@cspanofficial: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was reelected on Tuesday as House Democratic leader for the 119th Congress despite his party failing to recapture the majority earlier this month. The 54-year-old Brooklyn lawmaker, who has represented New York’s 8th District since 2013, ran unopposed for the top position. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) was reelected as Democratic whip, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) was kept on as caucus chair and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) was reelected vice chair. All four lawmakers took over Democratic leadership at the beginning of the 118th Congress as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC) stepped aside after nearly two decades at the helm. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) was also elected as assistant Democratic leader, adding the 40-year-old to the leadership team. While Republicans maintained control of the chamber, they will have a very slim majority, similar to that of the 118th Congress, which constantly presented governing challenges for Speakers Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Mike Johnson (R-LA). As of Tuesday morning, Republicans had captured 218 seats to Democrats’ 212, with five races yet to be called, per the Associated Press. Several House Republicans have also been tapped for positions in President-elect Trump’s upcoming administration, making Speaker Johnson’s task even more difficult until special elections can be held. Taken together, Rep. Jeffries could have outsized influence as a minority leader and would be well-positioned to lead Democrats into the majority in the 2026 midterms, elections that historically favor the party out of power. The minority leader told reporters last week that his caucus would “work to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible” with Republicans but would also “push back whenever necessary against far-right extremism.” “We will continue to exercise common sense, we will always try to find common ground, but we will also vigorously defend the common good,” Rep. Jeffries said. #hakeemjeffries #houseofrepresentatives #congress #cspan

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Tuesday 19 November 2024 16:51:25 GMT