Letter Circulates Among Congressional Dems About Biden
Democratic members of Congress are reigniting concerns over President Biden's candidacy, just days after the shocking assassination attempt against former President Trump. This renewed tension comes as some lawmakers express unease with the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) plans to proceed with a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden ahead of the Democratic convention.
Why does this matter? Some lawmakers are uneasy about the DNC's decision to push forward with an early virtual roll call vote, scheduled weeks before the convention. This move, according to a letter circulating among congressional Democrats, has "no legal justification" since Ohio moved its filing deadline past the convention date.
The letter emphasizes, "We respectfully but emphatically request that you cancel any plans for an accelerated 'virtual roll call' and further refrain from any extraordinary procedures that could be perceived as curtailing legitimate debate."
Despite Ohio's rule change, the DNC argues that the legislature could theoretically reverse its decision, thus justifying the early virtual vote. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison stated, "The suggestion that the timeline for the virtual roll call has been accelerated is false. The timeline for the virtual roll call process remains on schedule and unchanged from when the DNC made that decision in May."
Zooming in, several Democratic representatives have voiced their concerns. Reps. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), and Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) have all indicated plans to sign the letter, with Quigley and Ryan publicly calling for Biden to withdraw. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) also plans to sign the letter after telling Biden to drop out during a call with Hispanic Caucus members.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who expressed concerns about Biden being shielded from bad news on a Progressive Caucus call, has been circulating the letter. Huffman declined to discuss the letter in detail but criticized the early roll call as politically motivated, saying, "I just think it's a terrible idea for the DNC to do this... at a time when we have this huge enthusiasm gap with the Republicans, to do a stunt like this is just going to make it worse."
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the first House Democrat to call for Biden to drop out, supports Huffman's efforts, stating that such DNC actions would be contrary to Biden's own recommendation for alternative nominees to be considered at the convention.
On the other side, the Biden campaign pointed to the president's repeated commitments to continue his reelection bid. They also highlighted public support from dozens of House and Senate Democrats, with Biden actively campaigning in Nevada alongside several Congressional Black Caucus members.
The DNC's virtual roll call is set to begin on July 29 and conclude by August 5, two weeks before the Democratic convention starts on August 19. This timeline means Biden needs to withstand internal opposition and criticism for only a few more weeks.