‘Without hesitation’: The new New Democrats team is all-in on Hakeem Jeffries– www.politico.com
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EXCERPT:
The centrist New Democrat Coalition’s newly elected leaders are making it very clear: They have Hakeem Jeffries‘ back.
“We’ll be a critical voting bloc to make sure that he is the next speaker,” Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois said Tuesday in her first interview after being elected the coalition’s chair. “He will be the next speaker of the House.”
“Unequivocally and without hesitation,” added Rep. Marilyn Strickland of Washington, the group’s next vice chair of communications, who was also elected Tuesday along other coalition leaders.
The New Democrats, already House Democrats’ largest ideological caucus, will have significant clout next term with over 140 members. The next group of leaders — which also includes Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico as policy vice chair and Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington as outreach vice chair — are framing themselves as agenda-setters for top leaders and foot soldiers in brokering consensus inside the larger party caucus.
