Despite mounting pressure over the weekend from Democrats calling on Biden to step aside from the campaign, the proverbial dam did not break when lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill.
Public calls for Biden to step aside slowed to a near standstill with just one member, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-NJ, speaking out on Tuesday.
鈥淚 know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first and foremost in their considerations,鈥� Sherrill wrote in a statement. 鈥淎nd because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won鈥檛 run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.鈥�
No other House or Senate Democrats joined the push for the president to withdraw as the 2024 presidential nominee, but lawmakers leaving a pair of closed door party meetings on both sides of the Capitol did not emerge on the same page. The private worries about what Biden remaining on the top of the ticket means for the prospects of Democrats to flip the House and keep control of the Senate persists.
The internal party heads into its second week after Democratic about President Biden鈥檚 ability to campaign aggressively enough to win the election after a against former President Donald Trump.
Biden continues to have the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. But when pressed three times about the president鈥檚 viability as a candidate and a possible challenge, Schumer repeated the same curt answer: 鈥渁s I鈥檝e said before, I鈥檓 with Joe.鈥�
Montana Senator Jon Tester, perhaps the most vulnerable Democrat running for reelection in a state Trump won handily in 2020, pointed to a written statement he issued a day earlier saying he had concerns and the president needed to demonstrate he could do the job. He called the closed door discussion Tuesday 鈥渃onstructive.鈥�
The number two Senate Democratic leader, Dick Durbin of Illinois, when asked about Biden remaining on the ticket, said 鈥渋t still remains to be seen鈥� and said the president is putting together his campaign.
Multiple Senate Democrats say this week is really the unofficial deadline for the party to debate the best path forward, if in fact there is a move to get behind an alternative nominee.
But Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch told reporters 鈥渨e have a ways to go鈥� when asked about any consensus about next steps.
House democrats remain split
House Democrats huddled in a private meeting Tuesday morning at the Democratic National Committee headquarters close to the Capitol for close to two hours. Lawmakers were not allowed to bring phones, and the recommendation to those leaving the session was not to discuss the conversation with the media, according to members leaving the meeting. Top leaders left through a back entrance, avoiding reporters.
Most members exiting the meeting barely spoke to the flood of reporters waiting outside, with some simply saying it鈥檚 good to have a 鈥渇amily conversation鈥� and the discussion is 鈥渆xactly what we should be doing as a party.鈥�
Asked about any consensus in the room, Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver deadpanned: 鈥渢he consensus was not to talk to you guys.鈥�
California Rep. Lou Correa, who backs Biden, said the 鈥渧ast, vast majority鈥� of those who spoke up during the private session support Biden as the nominee.
鈥淚 was surprised how much support Biden had in that room, not that it matters, because the voters, they鈥檝e already chosen their nominee,鈥� he told reporters. He admitted there was 鈥渟ome concern, but I didn't really see a lot of people saying he shouldn鈥檛 be the guy.鈥�
Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson said he doesn鈥檛 think there was 鈥渄isunity in the room,鈥� adding: 鈥淭here were differences of opinion expressed, but we鈥檙e all unified in the fact that we can鈥檛 allow Donald Trump to regain the White House.鈥�
One member who was granted anonymity to discuss the private meeting told NPR the meeting felt 鈥渓ike a funeral鈥� and that there was a lot of talk about how difficult the situation is for Democrats.
When asked if members are on the same page, Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen quipped, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not even in the same book.鈥�
Those divisions include who continue to say Biden should step aside for the good of the party.
鈥淗e just has to step down,鈥� said Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, adding he thinks Biden can鈥檛 win the election.
Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan, who is one of the members elected to lead House Democrats on messaging, released a statement after the meeting saying she shared the concerns about Biden that she鈥檚 hearing from voters.
鈥淲hile President Biden has made clear he feels he is the best candidate to win this election, nothing that has happened over the past twelve days suggests that voters see things the same way.鈥� She stopped short of calling Biden to step aside, but added,鈥渙ver the next four months, I will do everything in my power to help Democrats retake the House and defeat Donald Trump.鈥�
Several Democrats who did speak to reporters stressed that Biden was the nominee and the party needs to return to campaigning and making the contrast between Biden鈥檚 record and Trump鈥檚 agenda.
Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar reiterated this message during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
鈥淩ight now, President Biden is the nominee and we support the Democratic nominee that will beat Donald Trump,鈥� he said.
What鈥檚 Biden doing?
President Biden has been doing more outreach to members. He had a call last night with the Congressional Black Caucus. Black voters were critical in propelling Biden to the White House four years ago and remain a critical voting bloc for him this cycle.
He鈥檚 also given two interviews in recent days 鈥� a call to MSNBC where he essentially called on detractors who think he shouldn鈥檛 run to challenge him at the convention and an , where he dismissed the possibility that top Congressional leaders would come to him asking him to step aside from the campaign.
On Monday, Biden also sent a two-page letter to Democratic lawmakers saying he鈥檚 committed to remaining in the race and that speculation about whether he should drop out helps Trump.
鈥淭he question of how to move forward has been well aired for over a week now and it鈥檚 time for it to end,鈥�.
Rep. Deborah Ross declined to talk about Tuesday鈥檚 caucus discussion, but used a political term southerners often use to describe Democrats who vote for any candidate with the party鈥檚 label, 鈥淚鈥檓 from North Carolina. We鈥檙e yellow dog Democrats and we鈥檇 vote for a yellow dog over a Republican and we鈥檇 certainly vote for a yellow dog over a junkyard dog and that鈥檚 who Donald Trump is.鈥�
NPR Congressional Correspondent Claudia Grisales contributed to this report.
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