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U.S. House New York District 8
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Hakeem Jeffries
DemocratU.S. House · NY · District 8
U.S. House New York District 8
U.S. House · NY · District 8
State University of New York at Binghamton—B.S. in political science; Georgetown University—master's in public policy; New York University Law School—J.D.
Data last updated 10/27/2026
Hakeem Jeffries is a Democratic member of the U.S. House representing New York's 8th Congressional District, first taking office on January 3, 2013, and serving as U.S. House minority leader. He previously served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2013. Before entering politics, he worked as an attorney and in legal counsel roles for Viacom and CBS Broadcasting, and his professional experience includes work for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Godosky & Gentile.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Hakeem Jeffries generally supports expanding and protecting affordable healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, lower prescription drug costs and reproductive healthcare access, while opposing Republican Medicaid/ACA cuts. He has also said he does not currently support Medicare for All legislation, emphasizing instead affordability and repairing the existing healthcare system.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries co-sponsored legislation tied to restoring coverage for New York's Essential Plan, aligning with his opposition to healthcare coverage cuts affecting New Yorkers.
SourceJeffries co-sponsored a maternal health package aimed at improving pregnancy, postpartum and maternal health outcomes.
SourceJeffries co-sponsored legislation to protect access to abortion and reproductive healthcare nationwide.
SourceJeffries says high-quality affordable healthcare should be a right for every American and supports strengthening the ACA, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, capping insulin costs and empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
SourceJeffries said he does not currently support Medicare for All legislation and instead wants to fix the healthcare system and make care affordable for every American.
SourceHakeem Jeffries emphasizes an economy aimed at working- and middle-class families, including lowering everyday costs, creating good-paying jobs, strengthening labor rights, expanding workforce development, supporting small businesses and innovation, and using infrastructure and manufacturing investments to generate employment. His record and public statements also show support for targeted entrepreneurship opportunities for formerly incarcerated people and for patent/innovation programs that can encourage commercial development.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries proposed legislation to support entrepreneurship and small-business opportunities for formerly incarcerated people, connecting reentry policy with job creation and economic mobility.
SourceJeffries proposed legislation related to the Patents for Humanity program, supporting innovation incentives that can help spur commercialization and economic activity.
SourceJeffries states that creating well-paying jobs for working- and middle-class New Yorkers is a top priority, including supporting innovation, economic growth and small businesses.
SourceJeffries says he supports the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act, stronger workplace protections, action against pay discrimination and policies addressing child care barriers to work.
SourceJeffries says Democrats are focused on lowering costs such as groceries, gas, housing, health care, child care, utilities and insurance to make life more affordable for working families.
SourceHakeem Jeffries supports comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, protections for Dreamers/DACA recipients, TPS holders, farm workers, essential workers and asylum seekers. He also supports border security in principle but argues immigration enforcement should be fair, humane and subject to reforms and accountability for ICE, CBP and DHS.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries co-sponsored legislation to restore premium tax-credit eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid because of immigration status.
SourceJeffries states that Congress must reform the immigration system and create a pathway toward citizenship for millions of undocumented hardworking individuals.
SourceJeffries said DACA should be continued, supported and embraced, and said passing the Dream and Promise Act would remain a priority if Democrats regain House control.
SourceJeffries called for dramatic reforms to ICE, CBP and DHS, including accountability measures such as a judicial warrant requirement, limits on masks and independent investigations, before continued DHS funding.
SourceJeffries opposed policies blocking nearly all asylum claims at the southern border and said the United States should uphold asylum laws and protect vulnerable people fleeing violence and persecution.
SourceHakeem Jeffries supports federal action to address climate change through clean-energy investment, lower household energy costs, environmental justice, pollution regulation and climate resilience. His public statements emphasize the Inflation Reduction Act as a key climate-and-energy law and criticize efforts to roll back pollution protections or clean-energy funding.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries states that he worked with Democrats to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which he says lowers home and small-business energy costs, creates good-paying union jobs, boosts domestic energy production and advances environmental justice.
SourceJeffries said he strongly supported the Inflation Reduction Act because it would lower energy costs, confront the climate crisis and put the planet on a more sustainable trajectory.
SourceJeffries opposed the Trump administration's repeal of the EPA endangerment finding, arguing that the rollback endangered public health, increased climate risks and would raise costs tied to utilities, insurance and disasters.
SourceJeffries sponsored legislation related to keeping National Wildlife Refuge System operations functioning, an environmental and public-lands measure relevant to conservation policy.
SourceJeffries' campaign says the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce Americans' energy costs by helping families make homes more efficient, lowering heating and cooling expenses and tackling costly extreme weather driven by climate change.
SourceHakeem Jeffries supports making education more affordable and accessible, with a particular emphasis on student-loan literacy, student-debt relief and repayment assistance. He also links education and vocational training to opportunity, including reentry programming for formerly incarcerated people.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries proposed creating a grant program for states to fund community-based nonprofit student-loan consumer assistance programs to help borrowers understand and manage student loans.
SourceJeffries' campaign issues page says he is working to lower education costs along with child care, health care and prescription drug costs.
SourceJeffries' congressional office states that House Democrats are working to protect student-loan debt relief and make education more accessible.
SourceJeffries' congressional office provides student resources on federal student-loan borrowing, repayment changes and Federal Student Aid access.
SourceJeffries' official biography highlights the First Step Act's authorization of reentry programming, including education and vocational training, as a way to reduce recidivism and support successful transitions after incarceration.
SourceHakeem Jeffries frames public safety as combining gun-violence prevention, anti-trafficking enforcement, police accountability and community trust. His record and public materials emphasize universal background checks, school and community safety measures, human-trafficking prevention and reforms aimed at accountability and transparency in law enforcement.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Jeffries proposed legislation requiring National Human Trafficking Hotline information to be posted in federal buildings and major transportation settings to help combat trafficking.
SourceJeffries co-sponsored legislation to require a background check for every firearm sale, aligning with his public support for universal background checks.
SourceJeffries co-sponsored legislation related to legal counsel protections in the digital era, a criminal justice and law enforcement issue.
SourceJeffries co-sponsored a resolution honoring the victims and survivors of the January 8, 2011 Tucson shooting and recognizing advocacy to end gun violence.
SourceJeffries says he supports commonsense gun violence prevention measures including universal background checks for firearm purchases and a ban on assault weapons.
SourceBallotpedia
https://ballotpedia.org/Hakeem_JeffriesFetched: biography, education, hometown, professional background, committee assignments
US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/15032387302Fetched: biography, education, professional background
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
https://jeffries.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses/Fetched: committee assignments
FEC API
https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/candidate/H2NY10092/totals/Fetched: totalRaised, totalSpent, cashOnHand
OpenWatchdog
https://www.openwatchdog.com/member/J000294Fetched: partyAlignment, missedVotes, keyVotes
Population Connection Action Fund
https://www.populationconnectionaction.org/vote/2026-endorsements/Fetched: endorsements
Pelican Orange US Federal Government Directory
https://pelicanorange.com/members/jeffries-hakeem-ny-8.htmlFetched: ratings
Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/media/hakeem-jeffries-rejects-medicare-all-dsa-agenda-ro-khanna-calls-health-plan-most-important-priority.ampFetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House site
https://jeffries.house.gov/economy-and-workforce/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House statement
https://jeffries.house.gov/2025/05/22/leader-jeffries-on-house-floor-if-they-wont-fight-for-you-we-will/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/06/10/leader-jeffries-its-imperative-that-the-daca-program-be-continued-supported-and-embraced/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/02/10/leader-jeffries-on-ms-now-ice-should-be-compelled-to-act-like-every-other-law-enforcementagency-in-the-country/Fetched: issuePositions
Hakeem Jeffries for Congress
https://hakeemjeffries.com/news/statement-on-delegation-border-visit/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House website
https://jeffries.house.gov/energy-and-environment/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House statement
https://jeffries.house.gov/2022/08/12/rep-jeffries-the-inflation-reduction-act-will-dramatically-improve-the-lives-of-everyday-americans-and-put-people-over-politics/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House statement
https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/02/12/leader-jeffries-statement-on-trump-administration-repeal-of-the-endangerment-finding/Fetched: issuePositions
Hakeem Jeffries campaign website
https://hakeemjeffries.com/issue/lower-costs/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries student loan debt page
https://jeffries.house.gov/putting-people-over-politics/tackling-the-student-loan-debt-crisis/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries student resources page
https://jeffries.house.gov/resources/students/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official biography
https://jeffries.house.gov/about/Fetched: issuePositions
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries official House website
https://jeffries.house.gov/public-safety/Fetched: issuePositions
Hakeem Jeffries campaign website
https://hakeemjeffries.com/issue/safer-communities/Fetched: issuePositions
Congress.gov
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/69Fetched: bills