Democrats sound like they're going to back Joe Biden – but concerns haven't vanished

WASHINGTON – Democrats on Capitol Hill didn’t make much movement Tuesday in settling an intra-party debate over whether President Joe Biden should stay in the 2024 presidential election, with concerns remaining following critical, closed-door meetings.

That dissension was on full display after Rep. Mikie Sherrill became the seventh House Democrat to call on Biden to exit the presidential race.

“I am asking that (Biden) declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee," Sherrill said in a statement.

Biden's status for 2024 got prime-time billing when House lawmakers huddled in the morning at the Democratic National Committee headquarters following two weeks of growing concern over whether there is a path forward for Democrats to win up and down the ticket with the president at the helm. A handful of Democrats in the lower chamber have called on Biden to pass the torch ahead of November's election after a disastrous debate against Trump last month, during which he struggled to complete points or make a comprehensive pitch.

Senate Democrats held a several-hour long lunch meeting to discuss Democrats’ prospects in the November election. While the lawmakers were mostly tightlipped on the outcome of the discussion, some said the consensus that came out of the meeting was that Democrats need to pivot their focus back to defeating Donald Trump.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., when asked whether there was consensus in the Democratic lunch meeting, said “On that point there is not only consensus there is absolute unity.”

Blumenthal said he will support Biden as the nominee, as would many other Democrats who were in the meeting.

The vast majority of Democrats in the House agreed.

“Every single member of the House Democratic Caucus is clear-eyed about what the stakes of this election are,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “Donald Trump cannot be allowed near the Oval Office.”

Although Aguilar said Biden is the nominee and he will support the Democratic nominee, he also maintained that Biden must still prove himself as an effective leader.

“We will see,” Aguilar said on whether Biden will be able to tamp down concerns of his ability. “Let’s see the press conference. Let’s see the campaign stops. Let’s see all of this because all of it is going to be necessary.”

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., told USA TODAY after the meeting that members who are already facing tough reelection bids this year voiced concerns about their ability to win with Biden at the top of the ticket

"I think these conversations were necessary. This was the first chance we really had an opportunity to, to air that out and to hear from some of the members from purple states and some members who are in very, very tight races," Lynch said.

Talking about Biden means not talking about Trump

Sen. Chris Coons, a close Biden ally from Delaware, made it clear going into the Senate's lunch that he will tell his colleagues that every day the media focus remains on Biden, they're losing the chance to talk up the threat Trump poses to America's security.

"We need to remember that President Biden for 30 years has been someone who used to stutter and occasionally misspeaks in small ways and not judge him by too high a standard," Coons said. "He's been the most consequential president in my lifetime. I think his record speaks for itself and that's why I think you're seeing more and more Democrats speak out in support of him."

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., who recently left the Democratic party but still caucuses with them, said "this is a crucial week" to decide whether Democrats should continue to support Biden, or whether it's time to implement a Plan B.

"Seeing what happens this week - there are going to be polls coming out, there are going to be senators that are up in very tough areas for re-election and they're going to have their input - so we'll just have to digest to see what comes out," he said.

Manchin predicted resolution by the end of this week.

"Basically we're to the point where it's - do you stick with plan A or is there a plan B? We don't know," Manchin said.

Down-ballot concerns

Biden has been slumping in polling, seeing a dip following his shaky performance at the June 27 debate. According to a New York Times and Siena College, released Wednesday, Trump led Biden 49% to 43%, and Trump’s lead increased by 3% compared to the polling conducted before the debate.

It's against that political backdrop that Democrats are trying to size up where to come down on a question that is likely to have ripple effects for other races beyond the White House. Lynch on Tuesday pointed to post-debate polling as the cause for concern for Biden's fellow Democrats. .

"There were a number of presentations made by members about what the polling post debate was in their states, generally speaking," Lynch said. "I think following the debate, it's fair to say, members were worried."

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Democrat on the House's Judiciary committee, reversed his previous position that Biden should step aside in the presidential election. Instead, Nadler said Democrats are going to have to throw their support behind the president.

“Whether or not I have concerns is besides the point. He is going to be our nominee and we all have to support him,” Nadler told reporters before entering the closed-door meeting to consult with his fellow lawmakers – and face the Democrats who are still urging Biden to bow out.

Nadler during a private call with top House Democrats on Sunday said 81-year-old Biden should exit the presidential race against Trump. Reps. Adam Smith of Washington, Mark Takano of California and Joe Morelle of New York, also said on the call that Biden should exit the 2024 presidential race.

Biden on Monday sent a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday saying that he would not exit the 2024 race. The president told his fellow leaders that he's not "blind" to concerns from voters and Democratic officials, but he still believes he's the "best person" to defeat Trump, and Democratic voters chose him during the primary process that played out earlier this year.

Biden's critics remain

Dissent remains from some members of Biden's party.

Before heading into the House Democratic meeting Tuesday morning, Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said Biden “can’t win” in the election.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who was the first Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to step aside, said Biden hasn’t convinced voters in key battleground states he’s the best choice.

“While he's convinced everyone who was in that room that he has been a great president, there are too many people in the battleground states who have not been convinced, and the debate didn’t advance us there,” Doggett said when asked about his greatest concern.

Lynch pointed out that the number of Democrats willing to publicly call on Biden to step aside rather than quietly grumble is very small. He also said the Democrats have had more than 10 days to deliberate Biden's rocky debate performance, arguing that "it's time to move on."

"I think there's legitimate concern out there given the debate performance. But so far as you know, I think it's nine House members out of over 200 Democrats,” he said. “And even among them, I think they realize this is, again, it's his choice. If this is his choice to prosecute this campaign, they in the end will be with it. They'll support it.”

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who launched a failed 2024 primary bid against Biden over the exact concerns swaths of Democrats are now publicly airing, noticeably did not attend Tuesday's meeting.

When asked why he was not there, he smiled: "I wonder why."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden gains momentum but Democrats' concerns haven't vanished