Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York and the minority leader, has arranged a virtual meeting for Sunday with senior House Democrats to discuss President Biden’s candidacy and the way forward, as per a senior official familiar with the plan.
The meeting will include the ranking members of congressional committees who form the top leadership of the party in the House. This gathering comes at a time of significant concern among Democrats on Capitol Hill following Mr. Biden’s lackluster performance at the recent presidential debate. Despite mounting worries about Mr. Biden’s suitability as a candidate and the potential impact on the party’s chances of regaining control of the chamber and holding the Senate, House Democrats have not convened as a group since the debate.
Mr. Jeffries has been actively listening throughout the week, refraining from pressuring Democrats to support the president while also urging caution in public statements as Mr. Biden and his team determine the best course of action.
However, divisions have started to emerge among Democrats. Four House members – Representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, and Mike Quigley of Illinois – have called for the president to step down, while others have expressed serious doubts about his ability to succeed in the race.
On Friday, Mr. Quigley admitted that reaching the decision to urge the president to withdraw from the race had been difficult.
However, as he stated on MSNBC, “clearly, the alternative now presents a very grim scenario with almost no chance of success – and this doesn’t just impact the White House, but all of Congress and our future.”
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, is reportedly working on convening a meeting of Democratic senators to address their concerns about Mr. Biden’s candidacy and determine next steps, according to sources familiar with the effort who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
