Biden tells Hill Democrats he ‘refuses’ to step aside

(WASHINGTON) – President Joe Biden, in a letter to Democrats in Congress, stood firm against calls for him to abandon his candidacy and called for an “end” to the intraparty drama that has torn Democrats apart since their dismal performance in the public debate .

Biden’s efforts to shore up a deeply anxious Democratic Party came Monday as lawmakers returned to Washington and faced a choice: deciding whether to work to revive his campaign or defeat the party leader, a defining moment for his re-election and his re-election. their own political futures.

Biden wrote in the two-page letter that “the question of how to move forward has been well discussed for over a week. And it’s time for it to end.” He emphasized that the party has “one task,” which is to defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.

“We have 42 days until the Democratic Convention and 119 days until the general election,” Biden said in the letter, distributed by his re-election campaign. “Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and harms us. It’s time for us to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”

See more information: As Biden battles for nomination, growing chorus in party says it’s too late

Anxiety is rising as high-ranking Democratic lawmakers join calls for Biden to step aside despite his challenge. At the same time, some of the president’s staunchest supporters are redoubling their fight for Biden’s presidency, insisting that there is no one better to defeat Trump in what many consider one of the most important elections of a lifetime.

As lawmakers weigh whether Biden should stay or go, there appear to be no easy answers.

It is a tenuous and highly volatile situation for the president’s party. Democrats who have worked alongside Biden for years — if not decades — and valued his life’s work over policy priorities are now debating uncomfortable questions about his political future. And it’s unfolding as Biden hosts world leaders for this week’s NATO summit in Washington.

Time is not on their side, with the Democratic National Convention nearly a month away and just a week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee to nominate Trump as their presidential pick. Many Democrats argue that attention needs to focus on the former president’s criminal conviction in the hush money case and pending federal charges in his effort to overturn the 2020 election.

It is what Biden himself could call a turning point. As he defiantly says he will only step aside if the Lord Almighty comes and tells him to, Democrats in the House and Senate are deciding how much they want to fight the president to change course, or whether they want to change course at all. of course.

In an effort to “get on the same page,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling lawmakers into private meetings before showing his preference, according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss it. He plans to bring together Democrats whose re-election bids are most vulnerable on Monday.

But a private call Sunday from about 15 top House committee members exposed the deepening divide, as at least four more Democrats — Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, Rep. Adam Smith of the state of Washington and Rep. Mark Takano of California — said privately that Biden should step aside.

Nadler, as the highest-ranking member on the call, was the first person to speak out and say Biden should step aside, according to a person familiar with the call who was granted anonymity to discuss it. He did so aware of his seniority and that this would enable others to join him.

Many other participants on the call raised concerns about Biden’s ability and chance of being re-elected, even if they stopped short of saying Biden should withdraw from the race.

Still other members, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, both leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, spoke vigorously in support of Biden, as did Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat in the powerful forms. and Means Committee.

And several lawmakers appeared frustrated that leadership was not providing direction or a path forward, according to people familiar with the appeal. A Democratic lawmaker said that regardless of the decision, the situation has to “end now,” one of the people said.

Neal said afterward that the bottom line is that Biden beat Trump in 2020 and “he will do it again in November.”

The uprising is also testing a new generation of leaders, led by Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New Yorkers have refrained from publicly guiding lawmakers on the way forward as they balance differing opinions within their ranks.

Behind the scenes is Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who continues to field calls from lawmakers seeking advice on the situation and is widely seen as the one who should keep an eye on any final decision on Biden’s future due to her closeness to the president and skills. of vote counting. in party politics.

Pelosi spoke out last week, saying Biden’s debate performance raised “legitimate” questions he needed to answer, but she continued to support the president. And Biden called her last week when he reached out to other party leaders.

When Biden’s ABC primetime interview on Friday appeared to do little to calm worried Democrats, and some said it made the situation worse, Pelosi stepped forward to publicly praise Biden on social media as a “great president who continues to serve America’s kitchen table. She added, “and we’re not done yet!”

Schumer has kept a low profile throughout the ordeal, but will gather Democratic senators on Tuesday for their weekly lunch, when senators are sure to express many opinions.

One Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, had intended to bring senators together on Monday to discuss Biden privately, but a person familiar with his thinking said those conversations will take place at Tuesday’s regular lunch with all Democratic senators.

Another Democrat, Senator Alex Padilla of California, said it was “time to stop worrying and go back to knocking on doors.”

Padilla spoke with Biden over the weekend and urged his campaign to “let Joe be Joe.”

“Given the debate, I think the campaign has no choice,” Padilla said Sunday, explaining that Biden needs to hold town halls and impromptu events to show voters “the Joe Biden that I know, and that most people in America have come from.” to grow and love.”

While some deep-pocketed donors may be expressing discomfort, strategists working on the House and Senate races said they have seen record fundraising as donors view Democrats in Congress as a “firewall” and the last line of defense. defense against Trump.

House Democrats had some of their best fundraising days, including a $3 million haul last Friday night following their debate event with former President Barack Obama and Jeffries in New York City. York. This is in addition to the $1.3 million that went to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the debate and its immediate aftermath.

Senate Democrats are also seeing a “surge” of support, according to a national Democrat with knowledge of the Senate races.

As Democratic candidates campaign alongside Biden, the advice has been to focus on building their own brands and amplifying how the work done in Congress affects their local districts.

__

Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking, Seung Min Kim and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.