Hakeem Jeffries represents the diverse Eighth Congressional District of New York and is serving his sixth term in the United States Congress.
Jeffries Rep. Is the highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, serving in the capacity of the former Chair of the Democratic Caucus and previously co-chairing the Committee on Communications and Policy. He has also held the position of the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and served as the Whip of the Democratic Caucus. Having been unanimously elected to this position by his colleagues in November 2022, he now serves as the Democratic Leader.
Rep. Jeffries is an unwavering supporter of social and economic equity in Congress. He has put in tremendous effort to assist residents by aiding in the recovery from the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, revamping our criminal justice system, enhancing the economy for ordinary Americans, and safeguarding our healthcare from conservative assaults.
The Democrats have successfully passed several acts, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the American Rescue Plan, in the last two years. Since President Biden assumed office in January 2021, Rep. Jeffries has played a crucial role in the House Democratic endeavors to prioritize people over politics. He has worked towards reducing expenses, generating higher-paying employment opportunities, and advocating for more secure communities.
In the spring of 2022, Rep. Jeffries was able to successfully fight against the flawed and gravely broken redistricting process, in which New York Districts were split into multiple Congressional districts by co-conspirators in the judicial system and partisan Republicans. Through the Community Project Funding 2022, he was able to secure $21.9 million to support organizations working to deepen our cultural understanding and uplift our neighborhoods, fund overdue improvements to medical centers, and provide food for the hungry in Brooklyn.
(H.R. 1693) and in order to eradicate the federal sentencing discrepancy between drug offenses involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine once and for all (H.R. 546) and to safeguard attorney-client privilege for incarcerated individuals corresponding electronically with their legal representatives (H.R. 2471, Public Law No. 117-103), to assess the progress of recovery and efforts to combat corruption, uphold the rule of law, and protect media freedoms in Haiti (H.R. 2093, Public Law No. 117-62), to guarantee that veterans and their families have access to information regarding benefits. These bills encompassed measures to enact significant improvements to our federal laws and programs. These measures covered a wide range of topics and were formulated with the aim of passing multiple bills through the House of Representatives and enacting them as laws with substantial bipartisan and stakeholder support. In the previous Congress, Rep. Jeffries proved to be one of the most effective lawmakers.
In the 116th Congress, Rep. Jeffries was highly involved in the legislative process, passing bills such as (H.R. 5065), which aims to offer entrepreneurship counseling and training services to individuals who were previously incarcerated, (H.R. 4508, Public Law No. 116-338), which seeks to expand scholarship opportunities for Pakistani women, and (H.R. 2426, Public Law No. 116-260), which proposes the establishment of a small claims board for copyright issues, allowing the creative middle class to safeguard their works. These bills successfully passed the House of Representatives and became law.
During the trial, the Senate failed to oust the President without hearing from a single witness. Nonetheless, the House Impeachment Managers established with an abundance of evidence that violations against the Constitution were committed. Congressman Jeffries contended that President Trump should be ousted from office for misusing his authority by exerting pressure on a foreign government, Ukraine, to target an American citizen as part of a corrupt plot to interfere in the 2020 election. In the Senate trial of President Donald Trump, Rep. Jeffries was chosen by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fulfill one of seven House Impeachment Managers positions, thus becoming the first African American man to assume that role in January 2020.
On March 9, 2021, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1280, also known as the Justice in Policing Act, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Jeffries. Jeffries remains dedicated to working with his colleagues to breathe life into the principles of justice and liberty. He authored legislation that included dangerous tactics such as knee-to-neck restraint and chokeholds, with the aim of criminalizing them. This transformative police reform bill will lead the way in promoting justice and liberty.
Jeffries Rep. Has played a major role in shaping the Congressional response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has worked across the aisle with Rep. Peter King to secure billions of dollars in funding in the CARES Act (H.R. 748, No. 116-136). He has also pushed for an extension of the emergency unemployment benefits and has supported efforts to assist local and state governments whose budgets have been devastated by the virus. In March 2020, Jeffries Rep. Partnered with the Governor to expand testing in hard-hit communities of color by establishing walk-in testing sites at worship houses throughout New York City. He has denounced the discriminatory social distancing policing that targets communities of color and has brought about a policy change. Personally, he continues to distribute hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and food to residents in need in his community.
In December, President Doug Collins, a conservative Republican Congressman from rural Georgia, signed into law a bipartisan and strong criminal justice reform bill (Public Law No. 115-391, also known as the First Step Act, sponsored by Democratic Representative Jeffries). Representative Jeffries worked across the aisle as the lead sponsor of the bill in the 115th Congress, which is widely viewed as one of the most meaningful efforts to reform criminal justice.
During the first three postpartum months and throughout their pregnancy, the STEP FIRST Act bans the immoral practice of shackling women during childbirth. In addition, the bill permits the transfer of lower-risk inmates to home confinement and requires the Bureau of Prisons to drive individuals incarcerated within 500 miles of their relatives. The aim is to preserve and strengthen family relationships in order to help prepare for a successful transition back into society and dramatically reduce recidivism. The bill also provides over $375 million to expand re-entry programming, including vocational and educational training, which has been proven to significantly reduce sentences and improve the lives of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the Act provides retroactive relief for the unfair sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and cocaine, ensuring that thousands of currently incarcerated individuals can earn 54 days of good time and have their sentences shortened.
In the 21st century, Republicans and Democrats in Congress collaborated to bring groundbreaking legislation that ushers in a new era in copyright music. This legislation addresses the dysfunction and crisis in Washington and harnesses the power of music. Because of this, songwriters are more likely to receive a fair price for their work and digital music providers like Pandora and Spotify will operate more efficiently. The passing of the historic Music Modernization Act (MMA), also known as Public Law 5447, played a key role in the House, with Representative Jeffries heralding it as a sweeping update to our copyright laws that will improve the licensing process and allow musicians, artists, and songwriters to share their creativity with the world.
Americans will be able to visit, explore, and study wildlife and witness the immense natural beauty of our nation for many generations to come. This legislation was a result of a collaborative effort between both parties and both houses of Congress to ensure its passage. Our public lands are maintained by dedicated volunteers who contribute countless hours to support the individuals who preserve America’s sanctuaries. Nearly $2 billion in local economic activity is generated annually by the 47 million Americans who visit wildlife refuges. The Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act, authored by Rep. Jeffries (H.R. 3979, Public Law No. 115-1689), was signed into law by the President in April of 2018.
The Act Enhancement Scholarship Fry, which became law as part of the Colmery W. Harry Veterans Educational Assistance Act, will expand the availability of education benefits to spouses and children of service members killed in the line of duty. Additionally, in 2017, the House passed several pieces of legislation authored by Representative Jeffries, including the Public Law No. 3370 (H.R. 95-921), which seeks to compromise the integrity of our judicial branch by protecting judicial officers from harassment and threats that cause harm. Furthermore, the House of Representatives in the 115th Congress passed other legislation authored by Jeffries, including bills to investigate the impact of synthetic drug use by teenagers on public health and to update federal regulations to remove racially offensive terminology.
In order to support the families of Detectives Ramos and Liu Wenjian from the NYPD, individuals could make charitable donations to organizations that apply tax deductions for the prior tax year. This was made possible by the law signed by President Obama, H.R. 227, also known as the Support Family of Slain Officer Act of 2015 (Public Law No. 113-1508), which extended the tax deadline. Congressman Peter King and Representative Jeffries from the 114th Congress teamed up to pass this law.
President Obama signed a bipartisan bill, which expanded the program by removing its “pilot” status, making it available to all accredited schools in the country that meet the eligibility requirements. Since 2008, this program has been operating in a pilot capacity, enabling law students participating in the program to gain experience in trademark and patent law while providing legal assistance to small businesses, tech entrepreneurs, and inventors. The legislation, known as Public Law 113-227 or H.R. 5108, was successfully passed by Congressman Jeffries in the 113th Congress and established the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Certification Clinic School of Law Program.
The remains of Revolutionary War soldiers, who were kept as prisoners of war by the British, are housed in the Park Greene Fort in Brooklyn. The monument, known as Martyrs’ Ship Prison, is a national monument consisting of a 149-foot-tall Doric column and a 100-foot-wide granite staircase. The Secretary of the U.S. Interior directs the feasibility study to designate Martyrs’ Ship Prison as a preservation monument.
The Congressman provides constituents with the chance to engage directly with him through regularly-scheduled telephone town hall meetings, focusing on both local and national matters. On a one-on-one basis, he connects with constituents at every location, where he sets up a table in front of a local post office or on various neighborhood corners. In the district, particularly during the spring and summer, he holds outdoor office hours known as “Congress on Your Corner.” Every January, the Congressman commences the year with annual remarks to the district. While diligently serving in Washington on behalf of New York’s Eighth Congressional District, Rep. Jeffries also makes tireless efforts to maintain close communication with constituents.
The civil court system experienced an enhancement in the quality of justice, as he drafted legislations to safeguard the civil rights of law-abiding individuals from New York during interactions with law enforcement and promoted the conversion of unoccupied high-end apartments into reasonably priced residences for families who work. Rep. Jeffries held the position of serving in the New York State Assembly for a period of six years before being elected to Congress.
Jeffries, Rep, successfully led the first meaningful legislative reform of the controversial and aggressive frisk-and-stop program by the NYPD in 2010. The legislation prohibits the NYPD from maintaining an electronic database with personal information of individuals who were frisked and questioned by the police but not charged with a violation or crime.
After the passage of Jeffries’ legislation, which established the principle of one person, one vote, the practice of counting individuals incarcerated in their homes rather than at the location of their imprisonment became the second state in New York to undermine this fundamental democratic principle.
Jeffries, the representative, attended the Law School at the University of New York, where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Binghamton University in New York. He then pursued a master’s degree in public policy from the Law School at Georgetown University, where he graduated with honors for his exceptional academic achievements.
After completing law school, Jeffries Rep. Clerked for the Honorable Harold Baer Jr. At the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then practiced law for several years at the internationally renowned law firm Garrison & Wharton Rifkind Weiss Paul LLP, where he also served as counsel in the CBS and Viacom department. Additionally, he worked as of-counsel at the well-regarded Gentile & Godosky firm in New York City.
Jeffries Rep. Was born in Brooklyn Hospital and raised in Crown Heights. His family lives in Prospect Heights and graduated from the public school system of New York City.
