Hakeem Jeffries elected House Democratic leader

Table Of Content

• Hakeem Jeffries received the most votes, so why isn’t he speaker?
• Democrats nominate Jeffries for speaker in third ballot
• Jordan ally: "This is much worse than we expected"
• news Alerts
• Criminal justice reform
• Jim Jordan fails to win House speakership on first ballot
• Letter to Speaker Mike Johnson on the Bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act
• Vote now: Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week

Rather, he hung out in the area where a lot of members voting against him were sitting. He also attacked Rep. Matt Gaetz for sending out a fundraising email last night that accused Jordan’s opposition of working with Democrats, after Gaetz voted with Democrats to oust McCarthy. “I am very proud, very proud to place a nomination, the name of our good friend, my good friend, our Republican candidate for speaker, the honorable Jim Jordan of Ohio,” Cole said.

Hakeem Jeffries received the most votes, so why isn’t he speaker?

Members of the House are now nominating representatives from their party for the speakership. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma nominated Rep. Jim Jordan as House speaker for a second time, one day after Jordan failed to secure enough votes Tuesday in the first round of voting. Mr. Jeffries said Democrats would join Republicans to elect a speaker only if they agreed to change House rules to allow “governance by consensus”; in other words, allowing bills with bipartisan support to come to the floor. “He has shown us that he will not stand up for secure elections, he will not stand up for democracy.

Democrats nominate Jeffries for speaker in third ballot

Let us continue to fight in this Congress for economic opportunity in every single zip code. A country that provides for the poor, works for working families, makes sense for the middle class, stands up for senior citizens, innovates in the inner city, strengthens suburban communities, helps out the heartland and revitalizes rural America. Equal protection under the law, free and fair elections and, yes, we believe in a country with a peaceful transfer of power.

Jordan ally: "This is much worse than we expected"

There were four new Republican votes against Jordan and two that flipped into his column. Greene's motion comes after Representative Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican, stepped down Friday, leaving the Republicans' majority to shrink by five members, with a makeup of 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. This means that if a vote is held, Johnson could only afford two defections without turning to Democrats who may demand concessions on policy issues such as the foreign aid bill. “We voted for him at the beginning of the Congress in January 15 times and got all 212 Democratic votes every time.

news Alerts

The congresswoman noted she would likely be voting for Jeffries, adding that Democrats work as a team and would not be inclined to keep Johnson "out of sympathy for Republican." "My vote will most likely be for Speaker Jeffries, which becomes an increasingly likely reality day-after-day as Republicans pursue midterm resignations," Ocasio-Cortez said. While Democrats do not have the numbers to hand Jeffries the speaker’s gavel, they are hopeful that they will win back the majority in next year’s election. In doing so, Jeffries would become the first Black person to serve as House speaker.

While he remains committed to working diligently in Washington on behalf of New York’s Eighth Congressional District, Rep. Jeffries also works tirelessly to keep in close contact with constituents. In January, the Congressman begins each year with annual remarks to the district. During the spring and summer, he holds “Congress on Your Corner” outdoor office hours throughout the district. At each stop, the Congressman sets up a table in front of a local post office or on neighborhood corners where constituents are able to meet with him one-on-one. He also hosts regularly-scheduled telephone town hall meetings that provide an opportunity for constituents to speak directly with the Congressman about local and national issues. In Congress, Rep. Jeffries is a tireless advocate for social and economic justice.

They did the same in January, with all 212 of them voting for Jeffries in nearly all 15 tries it took for the GOP to elect McCarthy (one rep missed one round of voting). In response, Greene posted on social media on Tuesday morning accusing Johnson and the Democrats of a "slimy back room deal." Rep. Jeffries was born in Brooklyn Hospital, raised in Crown Heights and is a product of New York City’s public school system, having graduated from Midwood High School. In 1997, Jeffries married Kennisandra Arciniegas, a social worker, whom he met as an undergraduate at SUNY Binghamton. They live in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, with their two sons. In 2012, Jeffries was elected to New York’s diverse 8th Congressional District.

Letter to Speaker Mike Johnson on the Bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act

McCarthy failed to secure enough support during a 14th round of voting earlier tonight. Rep. Kevin McCarthy appears to have flipped enough GOP hardliners to become House speaker after 15 rounds of voting, ending a dramatic deadlock. The GOP only holds a slim majority in the chamber – 222 Republicans compared with 212 Democrats – which meant McCarthy could not afford many defections. Johnson said, "I think Jim Jordan deserves more time to unify the conference." Earlier, when Jim Jordan walked onto the House floor, he didn't go right to his seat.

Transcript: House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on "Face the Nation," March 10, 2024 - CBS News

Transcript: House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on "Face the Nation," March 10, 2024.

Posted: Sun, 10 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Several days of gridlock gave way to dramatic moments late Friday evening. In the 14th round, an extraordinary scene erupted, with McCarthy confronting Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vote on that ballot could have given him the role he has sought for so long. Republicans previously agreed to nominate McCarthy, but his path to the speakership was uncertain after a group of GOP holdouts threatened to derail his bid. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries has just made history, becoming the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress. Jordan then got into an extended conversation with New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who voted against him.

“It's clear that that did not really assuage some of the concerns from Republicans,” Fox said, adding that the 1% could have an effect on military preparations, which could have worried some Republicans. The anti-Jordan contingent cast six votes for McCarthy, seven votes for Scalise and three for former New York GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, among other alternatives. GOP nominee for House speaker Jim Jordan was unable to secure the gavel on the first vote. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy nominated Jordan for the speakership. He also went after Rep. Matt Gaetz and the other members that voted to oust him.

"While the Republican candidate for speaker is making late-night bathroom deals to secure the gavel, leader Jeffries has once again extended the hand of bipartisanship for a path forward." House Democrats rallied behind Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York as their pick for speaker of the House on Tuesday, uniting — again — around a liberal lawyer and disciplined political tactician as the face of their opposition to the Republican majority. For months, Greene has railed against Johnson, threatening to force a vote to oust him if he put Ukraine aid on the House floor. Johnson did just that, shepherding a package through the House that included Ukraine aid, as well as funds for Israel and a bill to provide a pathway to ban TikTok in the U.S. It became law last week after the Senate approved it and President Joe Biden signed it into law.

As we transition from one Congress to the next, from one Majority to the next, from a year of from a year of accomplishment, to a year of ambiguity. The American people, understandably, after the events of this week, recognize that the Congress is at a fork in the road, and are asking the question, what direction will we choose? Not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as independents, but as Americans. We passed the American Rescue Plan, saved the economy from a deep recession, put shots in arms, money in pockets and kids back in school.

The first vote for nominee Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio fell short, with 20 GOP legislators voting against him, including some Florida resistance. The previous nominee, House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-LA, dropped out last week due to lack of support. The FIRST STEP Act provides retroactive relief for the shameful crack cocaine sentencing disparity that unfairly destroyed lives, families and communities. The law shortens sentences by ensuring inmates can earn the 54 days of good time credit per year.

Under the extreme MAGA Republican majority, the House of Representatives has become engulfed in unprecedented chaos and dysfunction. Throughout this Congress, we have repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to bipartisanship by providing a majority of the votes to prevent a government shutdown this month and avoid a catastrophic default on America’s debt in June. It’s time for traditional Republicans to permanently break with MAGA extremism and join House Democrats to form an enlightened, bipartisan coalition. I am proud to represent a district with one of the largest shares of public housing tenants in the country. As their representative, I continue to fight every day to invest in public housing so that every single public housing tenant is able to live in a decent and humane home. The COVID-19 pandemic exasperated and highlighted long-standing issues of housing instability across the country.

A young Democratic member who is backing Cicilline expressed frustration Wednesday with Clyburn's decision to run for leadership again. … She was the most effective leader in history, and I’m not sure why he [Clyburn] didn’t have to leave with her,” the Democrat said. Rep. Matt Gaetz voted "present" in the 15th round of voting for House speakership.

The Texas Republican said he plans to keep supporting Jordan but that if he loses more votes he should reconsider his position. According to the roll call there are 427 members present — which means Jordan needs 214, or half the total plus one. “212 is our call for a speaker who will secure liberty, justice and opportunity for everyone. Well, the unanimous call of 212 House Democrats has been answered by our nominee for speaker, the gentleman from Brooklyn, the leader of our House Democratic Caucus, the honorable Hakeem Jeffries,” Clark said. Johnson will face a major decision about whether to hold a vote on a bill for additional funding for Ukraine and other United States allies abroad including Israel and Taiwan. Greene has opposed this bill, arguing those funds should be spent at home to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.