House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Nov. 12 laid out what Democrats plan to do once they take control of the House in January. The list included raising the federal minimum wage and taking steps toward what he called the party’s commitment to universal healthcare.
“America voted for dramatic change last Tuesday, and House Democrats are going to work hard to deliver it,” Jeffries said at his weekly news conference at the Capitol.
Asked how high Democrats would raise the minimum wage, Jeffries did not give a number. He said House and Senate Democrats are still working that out, and that the Raise the Wage Act, which has been introduced in previous congresses, has “substantial support” in the House Democratic Caucus.
The current version, introduced in April 2025 by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) with 178 cosponsors, would raise the federal minimum wage to $9.50 per hour, then increase it in steps to $17 per hour over five years. After that, it would rise each year with the median hourly wage. The bill would also raise the lower minimum wage for tipped workers in steps to $17 per hour over six years, then do away with it.
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 2009. Jeffries called the current rate “unacceptable.”
He also said Democrats need to “take substantial steps toward bringing about our commitment to universal healthcare, so that every single American in this country can afford to go see a doctor when they need one.”
The rest of his list included reversing cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, ending the war in Iran, stopping President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
The Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cuts he wants reversed were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed in July 2025. The enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025.
In January, Democrats used a discharge petition to force a House vote on extending them over the objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and the bill passed 230–196 with the support of 17 Republicans. Trump said at the time that he “might” veto it, and the extension has not become law, but it never progressed in the U.S. Senate.
On Iran, Jeffries said four-way negotiations on government funding are underway ahead of the Dec. 11 deadline. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, is leading them for Democrats. Jeffries did not say whether Democrats would risk a shutdown to cut off war funding, but said that House Democrats have “uniformly opposed” any more money for the war.
Jeffries also said Democrats would pursue investigations of the Trump administration alongside the affordability agenda.
“Congress has a responsibility to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch,” he said. “That’s not a partisan thing. It’s a patriotic thing.”
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said on Nov. 12 in a statement to The Epoch Times that Trump will keep carrying out his “America First” agenda. She credited it with the most secure border ever, the largest working-class tax cut in history, the lowest murder rate since 1900, the sharpest drop in prescription drug prices in more than 60 years, and record highs in the stock market.
“As the President said, he is willing to work with anyone who wants to strengthen our economy, lower costs for American families, protect our national security, and improve the lives of hardworking Americans,” Wales said. “If Democrats choose to pursue radical-left policies, they are choosing to work against the best interests of the American people.”
House Democrats will vote on Nov. 18 on whether to nominate Jeffries for speaker. Ahead of that vote and the floor vote in January, Jeffries said he is “confident that we’re on a positive trajectory.”
Bill Pan contributed to this report.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.