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Ballots from the election are still being counted as of the writing of this profile, so it’s still unclear whether Hakeem Jeffries will be the House of Representatives’ speaker or the minority leader. But either way, after the election of Donald Trump for a second term as President of the United States, his work will be more important than ever.
The representative of the Eighth Congressional District of New York has used a slogan of “people over politics” to steer a portfolio of initiatives to protect American people from criminal injustice and socio-economic inequality. The Brooklyn native soared in his first years of Congress, making laws to support a variety of communities including families of slain officers, veterans, incarcerated individuals, students and even music artists. Jeffries also fought to update current ones such as pitching to revise federal regulations to remove racially offensive language. Most notably, his work in criminal justice reform led to the passing of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act not once, but twice in the House. Now, with the GOP taking over both the Oval Office and Senate, Jeffries is seen by many as a leading voice in the Democratic resistance to MAGA.