AMNA NAWAZ: With Congress back this week, Republicans and Democrats alike are wasting no time preparing for the new session that begins in January.

As we reported, House Republicans today elected Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan to be their next leader.

Although Democrats haven't voted yet on their leadership team, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York is poised to become the next speaker.

And he's here now to outline his priorities.

Leader Jeffries, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for joining us.

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Great to be with you.

AMNA NAWAZ: So we're speaking a week after sweeping midterm Democratic wins.

You're on track to win the largest House majority since 2008.

The news, of course, is that you're also slated to vote later on whether or not to move forward with impeachment of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

You have said you're a hard yes on that move to impeach him.

Will this new Democratic majority mean more impeachment efforts of more Trump administration officials?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

We will focus right now on making sure we're doing everything possible to hold people accountable for what has happened up until this point, which is why I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution.

He's abused his power.

He's undermined our national security, and Pete Hegseth is the architect of this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has made our country less safe and made life more expensive for the American people.

AMNA NAWAZ: Could that accountability mean more impeachment efforts along the way, though?

You haven't ruled that out?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: We haven't ruled anything in and we haven't ruled anything out.

AMNA NAWAZ: I want to ask you about just yesterday.

You received a classified briefing about the Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, and his affair with a woman accused of being a Chinese spy.

What did you learn in that briefing that told you if U.S.

national security had or had not been compromised?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, because it was a classified briefing, I'm limited in what I can reveal, but it certainly is the case that the Nvidia issue came up.

There was a discussion about it.

And, clearly, there's a need for members of Congress to be briefed moving forward so we can fully understand exactly the implications for America's national security.

I think the president himself yesterday indicated that the FBI has launched an investigation into the Nvidia situation.

That's another indication of the serious nature of what may have gone on in terms of involvement by the Chinese Communist Party.

And so members of Congress, both the Gang of Eight, as well as the broader House and Senate, are going to need additional briefings and additional information, certainly in a classified setting, so we can unpack the nature of the damage that may have been done to our country.

AMNA NAWAZ: It was also reported that the president had been briefed on this affair a year ago.

Did you see anything that says to you the administration should have acted on this earlier, before these revelations became public?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: We haven't gotten any information that's been disclosed to us yet to be able to draw any conclusions with respect to the timeline, but that certainly will be exactly the type of questions that we're going to need to ask.

Secretary Rubio wasn't present at that briefing.

He's overseas, as I understand it.

We were briefed by the director of national intelligence, as well as the CIA director.

The FBI director was not present.

Certainly, if in fact it is the case that there has been an FBI investigation, which would certainly be appropriate, that has been launched, we're going to need to hear from the FBI as well.

AMNA NAWAZ: I'm sure you have heard President Trump also say after those sweeping Democratic wins that he would love to work with you and the incoming majority, particularly on something for immigration.

He then promoted Stephen Miller, the man behind his hard-line immigration approach, to chief of staff.

Yesterday, you called Mr.

Miller a stone-cold racist.

You said you have zero interest in working with that kind of individual.

So what is one thing that you think you can prioritize getting done with this White House?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, in this Congress, we were able to pass a meaningful housing affordability bill that was bipartisan in nature.

That effort was led, of course, by Maxine Waters in the House, working alongside French Hill, a conservative Republican from Arkansas.

And in the Senate, that effort was led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, working in partnership with Tim Scott.

We were able to get that bill to the president's desk.

He didn't sign it, but it has become law, and it was a meaningful step forward in terms of trying to create a supply of housing that the American people can afford.

And that's the type of foundational work that hopefully can be done in the next Congress.

We're committed to driving down the high cost of living in every area, that's housing, that's health care, that's groceries, that's gas, that's caregiving, and to making this country affordable again for everyone.

AMNA NAWAZ: Leader Jeffries, what about on the immigration front?

Is there something you can do with this White House?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, certainly, on the immigration front, we have a broken immigration system.

It needs to be fixed.

It should be fixed in a comprehensive way.

Immigration enforcement should be fair, just and humane.

We're not going to provide a dime to the administration's violent mass deportation machine.

Let's work together, perhaps beginning with moving the Dream and Promise Act this Congress as a foundation for the type of work that can be done in the next Congress.

AMNA NAWAZ: That Dream and Promise Act, of course, impacting the DACA recipients.

I should point out it's been reported some dozens of DACA recipients are among those already deported under this administration's immigration crackdown.

Would you support efforts to bring them back into the U.S.?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Certainly.

Anyone, whether they are a citizen, whether they were here lawfully, whether they're DACA recipients, who've been treated unfairly and unjustly by the administration, we need to provide remedial assistance to them and undo the damage that's been done to the country, to law-abiding immigrant families and to the American people over this last 20 months or so.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about working across the aisle?

As we just reported, Jim Jordan has been elected the leader of the House Republicans.

You a few years ago called him the poster child for MAGA extremism and a clear and present danger to our democracy.

Do you still believe that's true?

Can you work with him?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: That remains to be seen.

What I do believe is that the American people gave Democrats in the House and the Senate a decisive majority and want us to get things done on their behalf.

They want us to fight for an affordable America.

And at the same period of time, they want a Congress that's going to be a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch.

And that's going to mean that we visit accountability on the wrongdoers, the individuals who have unleashed this unprecedented corruption on the country over the last two years or so.

AMNA NAWAZ: But what does Jim Jordan's election say to you about what to expect from House Republicans for the next two years?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, I haven't had an opportunity to talk to Jim today subsequent to his election or see anything that he said about the course that he's going to chart.

We're going to have a historic majority, the largest majority that any party has had this century, 258 Democrats and counting.

We, of course, will always be willing to try to find common ground on the other side of the aisle,if there's interest in doing something meaningful to make life more affordable for the American people.

And we will see the posture that Jim, as well as the House Republicans, take in the new Congress.

AMNA NAWAZ: You will indeed have a historic majority, and we know House Democrats will hold their speaker nomination vote next week.

It is widely expected that you are poised to make history as the first black speaker of the U.S.

House of Representatives.

You know you face a number of detractors, though, and particularly among the incoming newly elected members.

Lakesha Womack from North Carolina, for example, has said "I don't think this is a time for us to be moderate" when asked if she would back you as speaker.

What is your message to those joining your caucus now who think that you are too moderate or too establishment to lead Democrats right now?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Well, we're going to work as hard as we can, to make the case, of course, to every single member of the House Democratic Caucus, both current members and incoming members, as it relates to the agenda that we have set forth.

We know that the American people are demanding change that's bold, that's dramatic, and that's transformative, and that's absolutely what we're going to work hard to deliver.

AMNA NAWAZ: Have you had any conversations with those incoming members who've expressed doubt about your speakership yet?

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: I have had conversations with a lot of different members, but there are over 81 new members to the House Democratic Caucus, and so that's ongoing.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, that is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joining us tonight.

Leader Jeffries, always good to speak with you.

Thank you so much for your time.

REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: Thank you.