NATIONAL NEWS: CELEBRATING LEADER JEFFRIES
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries is the Democratic Leader of the United States House of Representatives
Hakeem Jeffries (Mu Kappa 1989) represents the diverse Eighth Congressional District of New York and is serving his sixth term in the United States Congress.
T he Honorable Hakeem Jef- fries is the Democratic Lead- er, having been unanimously elected to that position by his colleagues in November 2022. In that capacity, he is the highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representa- tives. He is also the former Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Whip of the Con- gressional Black Caucus and previously co-chaired the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee where he helped develop the For The People agenda. College and Early Career Congressman Jeffries obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he graduated with honors for outstanding academ- ic achievement. There he was also Polemarch of the Mu Kappa Chapter
and was active in the Black Student Union.
He then received his master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown Uni- versity. Thereafter, Rep. Jeffries attend- ed New York University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served on Law Review.
He credits coursework in Political Science as powering his interest in pub- lic service. In one retelling, Jeffries shared, “It was the first class that really brought a significant amount of excitement to me in connection with government service. I recall [the professor] teaching a lesson about statecraft. There was something about his description of the different ways a state actor can influence behav- ior and policy among other countries beyond the raw use of military power.” “I recall working through some is- sues with the BSU using what seemed like sophisticated strategy and com- menting to someone, ‘We’re using state- craft.’”
After completing law school, Rep. Jeffries clerked for the Honorable Har-
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