If Democrats manage to win control of both the U.S. House and Senate in November’s election, Brooklynites Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Charles Schumer would lead both chambers next year.

What are their top legislative priorities for a potential Democratic “trifecta” in Washington, where they control the White House and all of Congress, too? 

Asked recently by Spectrum News NY1, Schumer and Jeffries each pointed to different policy focuses, including enhancing voting rights, lowering costs for Americans and — for New Yorkers — allowing the cap on the deduction for state and local tax payments (or SALT) to expire.

What You Need To Know

  • If Democrats manage to win control of both the U.S. House and Senate in November’s election, Brooklynites Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Charles Schumer would lead both chambers next year

  • Asked for his top priority were Democrats to secure a "trifecta" in Washington, Jeffries mentioned economic policies, invoking proposals that VP Kamala Harris has championed, aimed at lowering costs

  • In the Senate, Schumer points to voting reforms, including updating campaign finance laws and passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
  • When Democrats last had a D.C. trifecta, at the outset of the Biden administration, the party set about a massive legislative lift, passing trillions of dollars in spending

Democrats last had a D.C. trifecta in the first two years of the Biden administration. During that time, the party set about a massive legislative lift in Washington, passing trillions of dollars in spending to combat climate change, boost the domestic production of computer chips and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure.

Now, with the recent shakeup atop the Democratic presidential ticket renewing the party’s enthusiasm, Democrats are voicing hope they could control all three levers of power in Washington again in 2025.

If that happens, Jeffries, the House minority leader who aspires to be the next House Speaker, mentioned economic policies as his first priority, invoking proposals that Vice President Kamala Harris has championed aimed at lowering costs, cracking down on alleged price gouging and helping workers. 

“That will be at the top of our agenda, so that every single person in America has the ability to experience the great American middle class dream,” he said.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Schumer points to voting reforms, including updating campaign finance laws and passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“In New York, we're doing a good job there, but in other states, they're not,” Schumer said. “Voting is our sacred right. The Founding Fathers would be turning over in their grave when they see what some of these conservative states are doing.”

Democrats eyed voting rights changes a few years ago, but ran into a roadblock: the 60-vote Senate filibuster. At the time, efforts to reform the filibuster failed, blocked by two moderate Democrats. 

Now, with those two Senators — including Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia — leaving Congress at the end of the term, Schumer is not ruling out a new push for filibuster changes to help get certain legislation passed. 

“If we have to look at rules changes on different issues…it would be on the table, but I'd have to discuss it with my caucus and see where they want to go,” he said.

Another legislative priority for Schumer: the deduction for state and local tax payments. 

Schumer says the cap on SALT, which was part of Republicans’ massive 2017 tax rewrite, is set to expire next year. If he retains his title as Majority Leader, he says he will not put legislation on the Senate floor that would reinstate the cap, arguing that it hurts many New York families.