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Hakeem Jeffries elected as first Black US House minority leader

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Hakeem Jeffries was unanimously elected on Wednesday to become the Democratic Party’s top leader in the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in January, making him the first Black American to hold such a high-ranking position in Congress.

The vote by Jeffries’ fellow Democrats also marked the rise of a younger generation of leaders in the 435-member House and the end of the Nancy Pelosi era. In 2007 she became the first woman to be elected House speaker.

Jeffries, a 52-year-old New Yorker, will hold the position of House Democratic leader for the 118th Congress that convenes on Jan. 3.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was not surprised that Jeffries, a fellow Brooklynite, was chosen.

“When you’re from Brooklyn, you learn quickly traits like persistence and serious mettle… You learn how to work with all kinds of different people. You learn how to stand your ground. You learn to not take things personally,” Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, adding that Jeffries “exemplifies all these traits.”

The two leaders live in adjacent neighborhoods in the borough of Brooklyn, just blocks apart from each other.

When he formally announced his candidacy on Nov. 18, following a decade in the House, Jeffries pledged to preside over a caucus that would return power to committee members and give junior lawmakers more say in shaping legislation and being rewarded with high-profile positions.

“Meaningful policymaking and public engagement opportunities should be robustly distributed regardless of length of service,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to fellow Democrats.

Also elected as part of Jeffries’ team are Representative Katherine Clark, 59, who is seeking the No. 2 Democratic whip job, and Pete Aguilar, 43, who was elected to Jeffries’ current job of Democratic caucus chairman.

“Together, this new generation of leaders reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our great nation — and they will reinvigorate our Caucus with their new energy, ideas and perspective,” Pelosi said in a statement congratulating the trio.

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2022-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://thekoreatimes.pressreader.com/article/282114935596851

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