OAN Staff James Meyers
12:52 PM – Tuesday, November 19, 2024
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries won his re-election bid in the lower chamber on Tuesday, with the party set to be in the minority for another two years while losing control of the Senate and White House after the November elections.
Additionally, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) were re-elected to their respective offices for two-year terms.
House assistant minority leader Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) also won re-election.
As Republicans have been projected to keep the lower chamber, Jeffries struck a mellow tone with his fellow Democrat colleagues in private, telling time that “the buck stops with me,” Axios reported last week.
“We’ve fallen short of the majority, and that is bitterly disappointing,” the Brooklyn Democrat told reporters.
Meanwhile, Jeffries has publicly vowed to work with the incoming Republicans to pursue bipartisan legislation and expressed optimism that Democrats will make a comeback in the future.
Some House Democrats have stated that Jeffries has been dealing with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) being over his shoulder after her move to oust President Joe Biden from running again as the Democrat nominee in 2024.
However, Jeffries tried to put minds at ease about his relationship with Pelosi.
“I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi has been incredibly respectful of the entire leadership team,” Jeffries told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday in a bid to smooth over any rifts.
“It’s an honor to stand on the shoulders of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an incredibly consequential public servant in the history of America, and to continue to work closely with Speaker Pelosi and, of course, Jim Clyburn and Steny Hoyer,” he said.
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) won the vote to be the Republican nominee for speaker in the next Congress.
Jeffries and Johnson will face off for the gavel once the 119th Congress reconvenes on January 3rd.
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