(BPRW) Black PR Wire’s December Power Profiler: Hakeem Jeffries

(Black PR Wire) Hakeem Jeffries is an American politician and attorney. In 2022, he was elected to lead the House of Democrats, succeeding Nancy Pelosi. He will become the first Black person to lead one of the two major parties in either chamber of Congress.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, this rising political star studied political science at Binghamton University and earned his bachelor’s degree in  1992. During his time at Binghamton, Jeffries became a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member. Jeffries completed graduate studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, where he earned a Master of Public Policy degree in 1994. He attended the New York University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate and was a member of the New York University Law Review.

Jeffries was first elected to Congress in 2013 after serving in the New York State Legislature. Now in his fifth term in the House of Representatives, he currently serves as a member of the House Judiciary Committee and House Budget Committee. Before being elected House Democratic leader, Jeffries was the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. Jeffries is also the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and the former whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. Before serving in Congress, Jeffries served six years in the New York State Assembly.

In Congress, Jeffries is a tireless advocate for social and economic justice. He has authored several bills, including the Slain Officer Family Support Act of 2015, the Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act and the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill.

Jeffries will be sworn in as House Democratic Caucus Chair in January 2023 when the new Congress is seated. Jeffries is a turning point in the history of the United States Congress.