Uncharted territory: The Biden-Jeffries relationship comes into focus with the global economy on the line
When President Joe Biden sits down with the top congressional leaders on Tuesday, he will see some familiar faces: Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, and Kevin McCarthy, with whom he’s engaged in a high-stakes standoff.
The fourth principal, Hakeem Jeffries, is a different story.
The House minority leader is not a longtime collaborator with the president. In fact, he has a largely undefined relationship with Biden. He has been something of a side player in the debt ceiling drama that is quickly approaching a fiscal doomsday cliff. And the White House — sticking to a no-negotiation on the debt ceiling posture — has had little need to lean on him.