The key facts

  • Hakeem Jeffries officially launched his bid for Speaker of the House after the Democrats' midterm election victory
  • In a letter to members of the 120th Congress, he named affordability, accountability, and 'American values' as priorities
  • His promises include reversing Medicaid cuts, extending ACA tax credits, repealing Trump-era tariffs, and banning congressional stock trading

Jeffries officially nominated for speaker

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Wednesday officially appealed to lawmakers for support of his candidacy for the next speaker following Democratic victories in the midterm elections. Anadolu reports this. In a letter to members of the 120th Congress, he declared that 'America is back' and called for a new political course focused on affordability, accountability, and American values.

What Jeffries promised in the letter

Among the stated priorities are lowering the cost of living, reversing Medicaid cuts, restoring food assistance funding, extending tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, and repealing Trump-era tariffs. Jeffries also called for an end to the war in Iran, which he cited as a cause of rising gasoline prices. On accountability, he pledged to strengthen congressional oversight of the Trump administration, take measures against corruption and price gouging, and ban stock trading by members of Congress. Separately, he emphasized protecting voting rights, equality before the law, and the US tradition as a nation of immigrants. According to him, Democrats successfully stood up to the Trump administration even while in the minority, and now, with control of Congress, they must achieve broader policy changes.