Jeffries to huddle with top Democrats amid Biden worries
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is set to connect with his House committee leaders just before Congress returns to session for a conversation that is expected to touch on President Biden's candidacy.
Why it matters: Next week could be a watershed moment for House Democrats, many of whom remain shaken by the president's poor debate performance and convinced he cannot beat former President Trump.
- Lawmakers from across the party have told Axios they are hearing from donors, constituents and other stakeholders with grave concerns about Biden's strength.
- Democrats in swing districts are doubly fearful the president could drag down their races as well, throwing the fight for Congress into doubt.
Driving the news: Jeffries will meet virtually with committee ranking members on Sunday afternoon, just a day before the House is set to reconvene after a week-long recess, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- One of the sources expressed "certainty" that Biden will come up in the meeting as "part of a wider discussion of topics."
- The meeting comes as Jeffries has been sounding out various factions within his caucus on the issue, including his leadership team and a group of newer Democrats, mostly from the class of 2018.
Zoom in: On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is expected to convene a meeting of his colleagues to discuss Biden's future, Axios' Stephen Neukam reported.
What we're hearing: House Democrats have told Axios that Jeffries, despite publicly affirming his support for Biden, has been careful not to stifle criticism of the president.
- He has also delicately avoided taking a firm position in some private discussions.
- Two House Democrats have come out publicly for Biden to withdraw from the race, with lawmakers telling Axios they expect more to come. Others have strongly criticized the president's campaign.
- Biden said at a campaign stop in Wisconsin on Friday that the debate was not his "best performance" but said he is "staying in the race" and is "going to win again."
