The first bill of a House Democratic majority will concentrate on lowering costs, including on energy, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a news conference Monday.
“We believe, every single one of us, that the cost of living in this country is far too high, and that we need to make life more affordable,” the New Yorker told reporters in response to a question from POLITICO.
His comments come with less than five months left before the midterms, and as Democrats have been meeting for months to plot their legislative agenda in the event they win back control of the chamber in November. Jeffries is expected to be named speaker in that scenario.
His remarks came on the heels of a new “Dear Colleague” letter from Jeffries to all House Democrats, announcing the creation of five working groups to develop different components of affordability legislation: on housing, gas and utilities, groceries and goods, caregiving, and health care.
