House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) has begun responding to critics with a new phrase as Republicans try to attach the “socialism” label to the Democratic agenda.
“We believe in a nation where everyone has a strong foundation and unlimited potential. That is what Democrats stand for,” Jeffries told reporters while leaving his November 20 press conference.
The highest-ranking Democrat in the House continued by describing the idea as follows: “If you work hard and follow the rules in the United States, there should be no limit to how far you can succeed.”
The message suggests that every person should have government support to pursue the American Dream without restricting the achievements of those who have already advanced.
Instead of being crafted by strategists or pollsters, Jeffries’ new line actually comes from the title of a recently published book written by Manhattan venture capitalist Oliver Libby, who is not closely connected to Jeffries.
“We have no shared mission and no common purpose. We feel lost because we genuinely are,” Libby writes in the introduction of his book “Strong Floor, No Ceiling.”
Libby’s title serves as a four-word counter to the “Make America Great Again” slogan. The book lays out more than 50 proposals that lean centrist, with some leaning slightly conservative or progressive.
Libby, 44, said in an interview Tuesday that the country’s biggest challenge is a widespread economic stagnation that has weakened the nation’s sense of collective vision.
“There is a sense of unity when people are asked to accomplish something together, and building a strong floor with no ceiling is exactly that. We have not been asked to do anything ambitious for a very long time,” he said.
Libby has long donated to Democratic campaigns, though he is not considered a close ally of Jeffries.
He is friends with former New York congressman Max Rose, who liked early drafts of the book and encouraged Libby to share it with Jeffries. Libby said he briefly spoke to Jeffries at a few events and mentioned the book, but months went by with no response.
Then one day, his aides reached out to say Jeffries would offer a written endorsement calling the book “bold and comprehensive.” In mid-August, Libby turned up the television volume when he saw Jeffries appear on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” where the leader was pressed with questions about socialism.
“I will tell you what we stand for,” Jeffries said before quoting Libby’s message. “It is simple. As Democrats, we believe in a strong floor and no ceiling. In America, if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to enjoy the good life.”
Jeffries then referenced the 90th anniversary of Social Security, which he views as the original “strong floor.”
“I nearly fell out of my chair,” Libby recalled. “I had no idea he was going to say that.”
Since then, Jeffries has repeated the phrase on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” and in conversations with reporters on Capitol Hill.
Several other Democrats have echoed the phrase as well, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D), who recently entered the race for California governor.
Libby considers himself a lifelong Democrat, but he wrote his book as a call to action for centrists in both parties. His first political donation was actually to former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign, and Giuliani’s firm gave Libby his first full-time job after he graduated from Harvard in 2003.
While studying at Harvard, he worked on a program connected to the CIA, though he declined to give details. In 2009, he co-founded H/L Ventures with Eric Hatzimemos, a former adviser to Giuliani. The company focuses on supporting start-ups that claim to create positive social impact.
“People in the political center have no real home. They are drifting. There is no identity or slogan,” Libby said in the interview.
The phrase originated from a 2018 LinkedIn essay Libby wrote, and friends encouraged him to expand it. He began developing the book during the pandemic.
Although the book is meant for a wide political audience, it arrives at a moment when Republicans are confident after President Trump’s victory and Democrats are struggling to define a unifying message for voters.
Libby’s proposals resemble ideas from centrist think tanks such as the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Center for American Progress, or the American Enterprise Institute. Some of his ideas even match Republican talking points and might face resistance from progressive Democrats if Jeffries were to adopt them.
Among his proposals: expanding public-private partnerships for infrastructure, creating a federal chief operating officer, forming a “Fair Rules Commission” to reduce bureaucracy, offering preventive healthcare tax credits, encouraging local governments to crack down on crime, and maintaining a secure southern border.
His left-leaning concepts include publicly financed elections and eventually a form of universal basic income for workers displaced by AI and automation.
His more conservative proposals include extending patent protections for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, giving them greater incentives to innovate. Libby’s “no ceiling” idea contrasts sharply with the views of far-left Democrats who criticize billionaire tech CEOs, most of whom now publicly support Trump.
“There is nothing inherently wrong with being a billionaire. Most people who earned that level of wealth did it by creating something people wanted. That is one of the most American things I can think of,” Libby said.
Libby’s family roots trace back centuries to Jewish families in Spain and France. He keeps a 1940 Western Union telegram urging his family to flee France as World War II advanced, a message that was sent by Eugene Meyer, former Federal Reserve chair and owner of The Washington Post. Meyer worked with Ambassador Joseph Kennedy to secure the family’s escape.
Libby’s grandfather, Baruj Benacerraf, won a Nobel Prize in 1980 for his work on immune system genetics, while his mother pioneered prenatal ultrasound techniques at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His father served as chief of cardiology at the same institution.
Libby says he always wanted to pursue public service, which sparked his early interest in the CIA. He was at Harvard during the September 11 attacks and grew discouraged by the call for Americans to respond simply by shopping to boost the economy.
“We were encouraged to go out, spend money, and visit malls. The average citizen was not contributing to or meaningfully connected to the war effort,” he wrote.
A discussion with his grandfather ultimately pushed him toward the private sector, where he built a successful career, though his interest in public service remains strong. He admits in the book that he intends to run for office eventually.
The central question for Democrats like Jeffries and Swalwell is whether “strong floor, no ceiling” can grow into a modern equivalent of the New Deal or the Great Society, or whether it will remain just a piece of branding.
“The best policy is both effective and well branded,” Libby said, pointing to the Biden administration’s difficulty promoting legislative accomplishments such as the CHIPS and Science Act.
While promoting the book, Libby regularly asks audiences to identify a four-word phrase that represents the center-left today. Responses are usually silence or confusion.
“The American people know exactly what Trump says. And with Make America Great Again, they can project their own hopes onto it,” he said.
Jeffries sees the slogan as a strong response to claims that Democrats lack a message.
During his recent exchange with reporters, he highlighted decades of Democratic legislative achievements, including Social Security, the GI Bill, and the Affordable Care Act.
“All of these came from the Democratic Party. Strong floor, no ceiling. That is what we believe. Those are Democratic values. Those are American values,” Jeffries said.
Libby agrees wholeheartedly.