Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Congressman representing New York’s 8th district, posted a series of statements on social media addressing recent events and ongoing political debates, including the anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid and a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan.
On July 29, 2025, Jeffries issued a statement regarding violence in his home city: “Statement on the Mass Shooting in Midtown Manhattan. https://t.co/SjnQfXOfBj”.
Later that day, he criticized Republican health care policies and defended Democratic efforts to protect access to insurance. On July 29, 2025, he wrote: “Republicans are ripping Medicaid away from their own constituents and raising the cost of insurance on everyone else.
Why are House Democrats pushing back?
We believe that you deserve a country where healthcare is affordable and available when you need it.”
On July 30, 2025, Jeffries marked the 60th anniversary of two major federal health programs with a statement about their continued importance: “President Johnson and the Democratic Party delivered Medicare and Medicaid to America 60 years ago today.
Our fight to protect and strengthen these lifesaving programs carries on to this day.”
Jeffries has represented New York’s 8th district in Congress since 2013 after succeeding Edolphus Towns. Before his tenure in Congress, he served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012. Born in Brooklyn in 1970, Jeffries continues to reside there. He holds a BA from Binghamton University (1992) and a JD from New York University (1997).
