Jeffries Says House Democrats Will Not Cooperate With Chief of Staff Miller
The incoming House minority leader's public stance sets an early procedural and political baseline for the 119th Congress under divided government.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated on November 8, 2026, that House Democrats will refuse to work with Stephen Miller, whom President Trump appointed as White House Chief of Staff following the Republican Party's losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Jeffries made the statement during an appearance on ABC News's "This Week," according to reporting by the New York Post.
Jeffries described Miller as "the architect of Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine" and said Miller bore responsibility for policies connected to the deaths of individuals he identified as Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. The specific legal or factual basis Jeffries cited for connecting Miller to those deaths was not detailed in the available source material. The public record that would clarify that connection would be any formal congressional statement, court filing, or agency document cited by Jeffries's office.
Miller's appointment as Chief of Staff has not been confirmed by a White House press release available in the sourced material as of the time of publication. The source material does not include an official White House announcement, a Senate confirmation record (the Chief of Staff position does not require Senate confirmation), or a formal transition document. The existence of the appointment is reported in the New York Post article dated November 8, 2026.
The midterm elections, held November 3, 2026, produced what multiple outlets characterized as a significant Democratic gain in the House. As previously reported by The Congressional Times, Democrats claimed a House majority as Congress prepared for a January power transfer. Jeffries, as the leader of the Democratic caucus, is positioned to become Speaker of the House when the new Congress is seated in January 2027, pending a floor vote of the full House.
The refusal to engage with a White House Chief of Staff does not carry a formal procedural mechanism in House rules. The Chief of Staff is an executive branch employee who coordinates West Wing operations and does not hold a legislative role requiring congressional interaction. However, the Chief of Staff typically serves as a primary liaison between the White House and congressional leadership on legislative negotiations, budget agreements, and emergency communications.
Historically, periods of divided government have produced varying levels of communication between House leadership and sitting Chiefs of Staff. During the 112th Congress (2011-2013), House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama's Chief of Staff William Daley engaged in direct negotiations over the debt ceiling. During the 116th Congress (2019-2021), Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney held documented communications over government funding negotiations, according to congressional records and contemporaneous reporting.
Whether a formal refusal by Democratic leadership to communicate with Miller would affect specific legislative functions is unknown. The House Rules, available through the Office of the Clerk of the House, govern floor procedures and do not mandate cooperation with any executive branch official. Budget and appropriations negotiations, which require White House input, are the most likely area where the absence of direct communication would have a measurable impact.
Miller previously served as a senior White House adviser during the first Trump administration (2017-2021). During that period, he was a primary author of immigration executive orders, several of which were challenged in federal court. Court filings in cases including Hawaii v. Trump (No. 17-965, U.S. Supreme Court, 2018) reference administration policy decisions in which Miller played a documented role, according to the Supreme Court record.
Jeffries has not released a written statement through his official House.gov page, as of the information available in the source material. His remarks as reported are from a televised Sunday news program. The transcript of the full ABC News "This Week" appearance, which would provide the complete context of his remarks, would be available through ABC News's public archive.
What remains unknown: whether Jeffries's stated position reflects a formal caucus vote or decision, what specific legislative negotiations Democrats would decline to participate in as a result, and whether the White House has responded to the statement. A formal House Democratic Caucus resolution, if one exists, would be filed with the Office of the Clerk of the House and would constitute the authoritative record of any official caucus position.