[Video below.] House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democratic Socialists who win their congressional races will be welcomed into the House Democratic caucus, even as he distanced himself from the agenda promoted by the Democratic Socialists of America.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker pressed the New York Democrat on whether Democratic Socialists belong within the Democratic Party.

Welker asked, “Do Democratic Socialists belong in the Democratic Party?”

Jeffries responded by emphasizing several progressive positions that he does not support and argued that congressional Democrats are instead concentrating on economic concerns facing Americans.

“Well, what I can say is that I do not support defunding the police. I do not support open borders. I do not support abolishing the Senate. We’re focused on actually solving problems that hardworking American taxpayers want us to solve, which is to lower the high cost of living in a situation where life is far too expensive in this country. That’s the democratic agenda. That’s what House Democrats are fighting to achieve.”

Welker followed up, seeking a more direct answer about whether the Democratic Party’s political coalition is broad enough to include members who identify as Democratic Socialists.

“Do you think, though, that there is room in the Democratic Party, under the tent of the Democratic Party, for Democratic Socialists, is it big enough?”

Jeffries said that while he personally rejects the DSA’s platform, candidates who prevail in Democratic primaries and subsequently win their general elections will become members of the Democratic congressional coalition.

“Well, listen, I don’t support the DSA agenda, as has been articulated, by the DSA itself. Now you’re going to have individual members, who have been elected in Democratic primaries and if they are elected in the general in November, will be part of the House Democratic caucus. It’s going to be a broad caucus.”

{Matzav.com}