By Vihaan Majumdar
The 118th Congress has been sworn in, and with it comes a bunch of shake ups in the House of Representatives. The long and strenuous election of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House can be left for another time. This new congress saw a new generation of House Democratic leaders, with Hakeem Jeffries as the new caucus leader. So who is he?
Corporate background
Before entering politics, Jeffries was a corporate lawyer for Viacom and CBS, and he notably worked on litigation concerning the “Nipgate” incident, when Janet Jackson’s breast was momentarily exposed during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. He also served as a clerk for Judge Harold Baer Jr. of the US District Court of the Southern District of New York.
A Progressive Disappointment
It’s no secret that the Democratic Party is considerably more liberal than it was even five years ago. Well, Hakeem Jeffries may have put a stop to that trend. Not only is he more centrist and on the conservative side of the Democratic caucus, but his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, was significantly more liberal. Progressive interest groups largely opposed his nomination to lead the caucus; however, there was not much interest in running against him amongst party members, considering Pelosi formally nominated him and former caucus deputies Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn both wholeheartedly endorsed him.
Ready for the job
It’s notable to note that Jeffries has only been in Congress for a decade (that’s quite short for a congressional leader). Yet through the unusually long speakership election, Jeffries showed that he could in fact unite the caucus and keep control, proving that he is indeed ready for the role.
