Jeffries Launches Speaker Bid, Sets 100-Day Agenda to Reverse Medicaid Cuts, End Tariffs and Stop Iran War

Since Democrats won control of the House and Senate in Tuesday's midterms, the party has moved from celebration to governing plans. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) formally launched his bid for speaker and sent colleagues a letter laying out what the majority will try to do first.

The 100-day list

Jeffries wrote that the House would prioritize reversing Medicaid cuts, restoring SNAP funding, extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, ending President Donald Trump's tariffs and stopping the war in Iran.

The Medicaid cuts came in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed in July 2025. The enhanced ACA credits expired at the end of 2025. Jeffries wrote that the House already passed a three-year extension over the objection of Republican leadership.

"The days of the House functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump Administration are over," he wrote. He repeated the line at an afternoon press conference with House Democratic leaders.

He organized the agenda around three themes: affordability, accountability and what he called American values. He pointed to five caucus working groups on housing, health care, groceries and goods, gas and utilities, and caregiving. He said Democrats would look for bipartisan common ground where it exists.

On accountability, Jeffries said the House would act as a check on the executive branch, go after price gouging, address problems at the Supreme Court and ban members of Congress from trading stocks.

New leadership team

Jeffries introduced Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) as the next majority leader, the first woman to hold the post. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) was named as the next whip. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said Democrats will pass bills to reverse the Medicaid cuts, restore the ACA credits, stop the tariffs and end the Iran war.

If elected when the 120th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2027, Jeffries would become the 57th speaker and the first Black speaker.

Asked about calls in his caucus to impeach Trump, Jeffries said no House Democrat had raised impeachment with him. He said the focus is affordability and accountability.

The count is still moving

The seat totals depend on who is counting. The Associated Press tally had Democrats at 237 House seats called, with 59 races outstanding. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said 254 races had been called for Democrats as of Wednesday morning, with 35 undecided.

Jeffries says the party will reach at least 255 seats, which he called the largest Democratic majority since the early 1990s. DelBene said Democrats won at least 21 districts Trump carried by double digits.

In the Senate, Democrats flipped seven Republican-held seats and are poised for at least 54, with Alaska and Mississippi still too close to call. Chuck Schumer told a Wednesday news conference, "Relief is on the way."

The Republican mid-decade redistricting push, meant to net roughly 15 seats, did not deliver. Democrats won or are leading in 13 of the 15 districts the GOP targeted.

Subpoenas and the veto

Oversight is where Democrats can act without Trump's signature. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), expected to chair House Oversight, posted "LAWYER UP" on election night. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) posted a single word: "Subpoenas."

Likely targets include the Trump family's business and cryptocurrency dealings, government contracts involving Elon Musk, cuts to federal agencies, immigration enforcement, the conduct of the Iran war and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Jeffries said he wants to go after what he described as unprecedented corruption in government. The administration could resist document and testimony demands, which would send the fights to court.

Legislating is harder. Trump keeps his veto, and Senate rules let a minority block most bills. Spending deadlines give Democrats leverage, but standoffs over them risk shutdowns.

Republican-aligned commentary framed a Democratic win as a warning. A Daily Wire opinion piece, written on election day, argued that Trump's economic record beats what Democrats would have delivered and that a Democratic Congress means vetoes and "endless investigations." The same piece noted inflation was 2.4% in January and returned to 3.7% last month, which it attributed partly to tariffs and partly to the Iran war.

Health care and markets

Citi analysts said the existing Most Favored Nation drug pricing agreements will likely stay intact. They added that Democratic committee control "likely brings visible hearings and inquiries around drug pricing, industry practices and implementation." Vaccine policy, staffing changes and pharmacy benefit managers are likely to draw scrutiny.

Michael Krautzberger and Liam Wash of Allianz Global Investors wrote that the result "points to more political friction than policy transformation." They said Democrats could try raising the minimum wage, investigating corporate price-setting and extending health subsidies, but will likely face Republican opposition.

A warning from inside the party

Hillary Clinton, speaking at a live "Pivot" podcast event on election night, said Democrats will lose the support they just gained if they "don't go in with an agenda and have the discipline to enact that agenda." Co-host Scott Galloway said a Democratic win would be "a lease, not a mortgage."

The next fixed date is Jan. 3, 2027, when the new Congress convenes and the House votes on speaker. Before then, the outstanding House races and the Alaska and Mississippi Senate contests will determine how large the majority is.

The caucus must also manage differences among moderates, progressives and Democratic socialists.