House Democrats Talk Frustration, Loyalty To Biden In Closed-Door Session
Faced with an internal split over whether to keep Joe Biden as the party’s presidential nominee, House Democrats did something unusual Tuesday.
They kept their mouths shut.
Leaving a weekly party meeting, most Democrats opted to keep quiet or simply say it had been a good meeting when asked how the discussion went, trying to leave little fuel for the narrative that they are in disarray.
The mum’s-the-word approach from the usually chatty Democrats, known for not adhering to party message discipline, was a sign of how riven the caucus is over how to proceed. A person briefed on the meeting afterward described the mood as “sad and frustrated.”
The lack of consensus means Biden is a step closer to quelling a rebellion within party ranks that broke out after his fumbling debate performance in June. It would be hard for party leaders to switch to opposing Biden without broad agreement within the party.
But Biden opponents, who publicly number few but who likely speak for many more than themselves, say it’s still too early to declare the issue resolved.
“This is a process. People are taking their time thinking through this,” Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) told HuffPost on Tuesday afternoon. “I can’t talk about too much this morning, but I wouldn’t read too much into a single meeting.”
And the anti-Biden side picked up a member when Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) said she thought Biden should step back from the race and help the party pick a new nominee.
“When I think of my four children and all of the rights that another Trump presidency endangers, and in light of the recent Supreme Court decision that gave inordinate power to the president of the United States, the stakes are too high ― and the threat is too real ― to stay silent,” Sherrill said.
“I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation. It is time to do so again.”
Still, with Congress set to leave town Thursday for a week and Biden all but daring congressional Democrats to move against him, the window to pull back his nomination, even if there were a consensus to do so, is closing fast.
I realize this is hard, but we have done hard things in pursuit of democracy since the founding of this nation. It is time to do so again.Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.)
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) said he still supports the president but sounded annoyed that backing Biden was still a point of contention.
“I think this is a circular firing squad. It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen, where instead of taking it to the criminal, we’re taking it to the good guy,” he told reporters after leaving the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee instead of at the U.S. Capitol.
Despite the disagreement, though, Vargas said the discussion was “respectful.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who was the first to call for replacing Biden as the nominee, also used “respectful” to describe the meeting. “There are clearly some differences on this,” he said.
“I continue to maintain my position we would be better served by a stronger candidate,” Doggett said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who had been seen as one of the more high-profile skeptics about Biden and his ability to win against Trump, also did not want to ruffle feathers.
“Let’s just say we are all fighting for complete Democratic victory, from top to bottom. That’s all I really want to say,” Raskin said.
“The Democrats are very unified and that’s all I want to say right now,” he added.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who reportedly had been one of the four committee ranking members to say earlier in the week that Biden should step aside, said Tuesday there was little choice but to support Biden.
“He’ll be our candidate. We have to support him. He’s been a very consequential president, arguably one of the best in the last century. And Trump would destroy democracy,” Nadler said. “So we have no choice.”
