From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Jeffries poised to become first Black speaker of US House of Representatives
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The Democrats’ midterm election win puts Hakeem Jeffries in line to become the first Black speaker of the US House of Representatives, with the dual challenge of opposing US President Donald Trump while bridging the gap between his party’s moderates and its more vocal progressives.
As speaker, Jeffries, representing a New York City congressional district, would preside over a majority that will be sworn in the first week of January, taking the reins from Republicans who controlled the House for the past four years.
“Today begins the great American comeback,” Jeffries proclaims in a victory speech after media outlets projected the likelihood of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
He attacks the Trump-led Republican agenda in Congress over the past two years, pledging to pass legislation reversing steep spending cuts — enacted into law on July 4, 2025 — to the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor and people with disabilities.
“The American people have spoken and made clear that they’ve had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption. They want a Congress that’s going to deliver for the American people,” Jeffries says.
The Times of Israel Community.