After Wednesday's uncontested vote among House Democrats, much of the nation will start getting to know Hakeem Jeffries as the first Black American to lead a party conference in Congress. Having followed the Brooklynite for decades, we’ve got some insight on, and some advice for, the new House Democratic leader and possible future speaker.
Washington Dems are a fractious bunch. A younger generation pulls the party toward true-blue progressivism even as mainstream party faithful and moderates have other ideas. Since going to Congress in 2013 and joining leadership in 2017, Jeffries has shown a canny rhetorical and substantive ability to straddle the camps.
But if he leans in one direction, it’s toward sound policies that can garner majority support. He’s a longtime friend of charter schools, understanding that they deliver high-quality alternatives to underprivileged families. He’s a stalwart supporter of Israel, even as a vocal contingent of Democrats turns away from America’s most important Mideast ally. He’s a believer in building more housing, including in his backyard.
