House Democrats on Wednesday officially elected New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as the next minority leader by unanimous consent, making him the first Black lawmaker to lead a congressional party caucus.
Jeffries’ new role won’t start until January when the new Congress is sworn in and Republicans take control of the House. His No. 1 priority for the next two years is to lead Democrats back to the majority in 2024.
Until then, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who announced earlier this month she would step down from leadership after 20 years as the top House Democrat, will continue to lead her caucus through major lame-duck legislative negotiations on government spending, defense policy and other legislation that lawmakers hope to pass before the current Congress ends.
