More Democrats Call on Biden to Step Aside From 2024 Race

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have begun to call for President Biden to withdraw from the race in the wake of his debate performance last month. This week on Capitol Hill, they have been weighing arguments about whether Mr. Biden should be the party’s nominee. 

So far, 16 House Democrats and one Senate Democrat have directly called on the president to exit the race:

House members calling on Biden to exit presidential race

1. Lloyd Doggett of Texas: He became the first Democratic lawmaker to call on Mr. Biden to drop out, saying on July 2 that he was “hopeful that [Mr. Biden] will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.” 
2. Raul Grijalva of Arizona: He told The New York Times on July 3 that what Mr. Biden “needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
3. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts: He told CBS Boston on July 7 that George Washington chose not to run for a third term, and Mr. Biden should follow that cue on another term. “I think that can be President Biden’s legacy as well,” Moulton said. “He defeated Donald Trump once and then he was willing to hand power over to a new generation of leaders. That’s the kind of amazing legacy that a great president like Biden deserves.”
4. Mike Quigley of Illinois: Quigley said on MSNBC on July 5, “Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this.”
5. Angie Craig of Minnesota: Craig, who represents a key swing district, said in a statement on July 6, “This is not a decision I’ve come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency. That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as President and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
6. Adam Smith of Washington: Smith on July 8 called on Mr. Biden to end his candidacy “as soon as possible.” He said in a statement that presidential candidates “must be able to clearly, articulately, and strongly make his or her case to the American people. It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden.” Smith told CBS News that if Biden announced he was ending his bid, “there would be a huge sigh of relief amongst just about every Democrat in the House.” 
7. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey: In a statement posted to social media July 9 following a closed-door meeting among House Democrats, Sherrill praised Mr. Biden’s presidency but said she was asking that he “declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.” Sherrill said the “stakes are too high — and the threat is too real — to stay silent.”
8. Pat Ryan of New York: He said in a social media post on July 10 that he’s “asking Joe Biden to step aside” in the upcoming election to “deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.” The vulnerable House Democrat said, “Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump.”
9. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon: On July 10, Blumenauer wrote in a statement that he hoped Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden had “come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee.” The 75-year-old congressman, who has served in the House since 1996, declared that “there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms. He has earned that right.”
10. Hillary Scholten of Michigan: In a statement posted to social media on July 11, Scholten praised Mr. Biden’s first-term accomplishments, but said that “for the good of our democracy, I believe it is time for him to step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up.” The congresswoman said that if Mr. Biden decides to continue his campaign, she will vote for him but believes “it’s time to pass the torch.”
11. Brad Schneider of Illinois: On July 11, Schneider said in a statement that it’s time for “Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership,” which he said would give the president a chance to “seal his place in history as one of the greatest leaders our nation, and history, has ever known.”
12. Ed Case of Hawaii: Case said in a July 11 statement that his decision to call on the president to withdraw
    “has nothing to do with his character and record,” but Mr. Biden’s “ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term.” 
13. Greg Stanton of Arizona: The congressman said in a statement on social media, “For the sake of American democracy, and to continue to make progress on our shared priorities, I believe it is time for the president to step aside as our nominee.”
14. Jim Himes of Connecticut: The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee called on the president to withdraw after his solo NATO news conference on July 11. “Joe Biden’s record of public service is unrivaled,” Himes said. “His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure. He must not risk that legacy.” 
15. Scott Peters of California: In a statement issued after Mr. Biden’s July 11 news conference, Peters said, “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. … We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump.”
16. Eric Sorensen of Illinois: In a post on social media following Mr. Biden’s news conference to conclude the NATO summit on July 11, Sorensen wrote, “In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again. … I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President.”

Senators calling on Biden to exit presidential race

1. Peter Welch of Vermont: In an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post on July 10, Welch became the first senator to publicly call on Mr. Biden to drop out. “For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race,” he wrote. Welch argued that “the national conversation is focused on President Biden’s age and capacity. Only he can change it.”

Still, more congressional Democrats have publicly expressed support for Mr. Biden since the debate. And in recent days, some lawmakers have called for the party to unequivocally back the president, including prominent members of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus. 

As lawmakers prepared to return to Washington after the July Fourth recess, a group of senior House Democrats met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over Zoom Sunday night, where a person on the call and three people familiar with the meeting told CBS News that three more lawmakers said Mr. Biden should leave the race: 

• Jerry Nadler of New York
• Mark Takano of California 
• Joe Morelle of New York

But by Tuesday, Nadler said that he’s “fully supportive” of Mr. Biden, and added that he was not going to “comment on what I said in a private meeting.”  

“All I’ll say is the president made very clear yesterday that he’s running,” Nadler said. “And to me that’s dispositive, we have to support him.”

An aide to Jeffries confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday that Jeffries plans to convey the growing concerns of the caucus directly to Mr. Biden by Friday. 

Mr. Biden has been working to address concerns about his ability to serve another term with a number of appearances in recent days, making clear his intention to stay in the race at every turn — from a highly anticipated interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos last week to rallies in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania over the holiday weekend. 

On Monday, the president sent a letter to Democrats in Congress saying he is “firmly committed” to staying in the race and making clear that “I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”

The president aimed to shut down discussions about replacing him, arguing that “the voters of the Democratic Party have voted,” and had selected him as their presumptive nominee. In March, he surpassed the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination, and now has secured 3,896 delegates. There are 1,976 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination at the convention in August. Mr. Biden warned that forcing him off the ticket would subvert the will of the voters: “How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party?”

The president has also made outreach efforts in recent days, with a campaign official saying he personally made 20 calls to congressional members since the debate. 

Mr. Biden also called into “Morning Joe” on Monday, saying “I’m more than presumptive, I’m gonna be the Democratic nominee.” He expressed frustration with “the elites” doubting his fitness for another term, saying “any of these guys that don’t think I should run — run against me. Go ahead, announce for President. Challenge me at the convention.”