Biden stands tall as anxious Dems return to DC
The president, with the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus, was resolute in his promise to remain in the race for a second term despite calls from within the party to step down.

First Things First
Congress is back in Washington this evening after the July 4th recess and lawmakers are currently being peppered with questions about whether President Joe Biden should remain at the top of the Democratic ticket after his poor debate performance 10 days ago.
House Democratic leadership held a call on Wednesday to discuss the post-debate fallout and had its regularly scheduled meeting this evening before fly-in votes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) convened a listening session on Sunday to hear concerns from his Democratic committee leaders.
Seven House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to step down at press time: Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), Seth Moulton (Mass.), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Angie Craig (Minn.), Adam Smith (Wash.) and Jerry Nadler (N.Y.).
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will huddle with his leadership on Monday evening too. The Washington Post reported on Friday that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has been working to organize a group of senators to ask Biden to drop out of the race, but after details of the meeting leaked to reporters, it was called off.
“As I’ve said before, I’m for Joe,” Schumer said this afternoon when he entered the Capitol. However, he did not mention Biden in his first floor speech since the debate.
House and Senate Democrats will convene tomorrow in separate caucus meetings where Biden’s candidacy will surely be at the top of the agenda.
The message that emerges from these closed-door discussions will provide the clearest window into how much more work Biden has to do to repair riffs with his congressional allies who fear he has jeopardized Democrats’ chances of retaking the House and holding the Senate.
The Republican-controlled House Rules Committee is currently meeting to prepare several bills for floor action, including one measure that would block the Energy Department from prescribing or enforcing conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers and another that would prohibit the same regulations on dishwashers. Both bills were originally scheduled for consideration during Home Appliances Week in April. The White House issued a policy memo opposing the measures.
The House is also scheduled to take up a bill to fund Congress and its related agencies, plus legislation requiring you to prove you’re a citizen before registering to vote—even though noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections. The White House issued a statement of opposition to this legislation as well.
House GOP leadership has also planned a vote to overrule a Biden administration regulation that expands bans on sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding to include gender identity and sexual orientation. The White House said President Biden would veto the resolution if it reached his desk.
Schumer took steps before recess to bring a bill to the Senate floor that restores the fundamental right to abortion care enshrined in Roe v. Wade until its repeal in 2022. Every Senate Democratic woman co-sponsors the legislation, which Republicans will block if it comes up this week.
Meanwhile, the White House and Biden campaign are looking to turn the page on the crisis and shore up support among key coalition groups.
President Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats reaffirming his commitment to running for re-election and defeating Donald Trump. He acknowledged the concerns and fears expressed by party members and voters but emphasized his record of public service and the overwhelming support he received in the Democratic primaries.
He also insisted that the nomination process be respected and that the voters’ choice be upheld while contrasting his administration's achievements—including record job creation, health care expansion, and climate change investments—against GOP policies. Biden stressed the importance of unity within the Democratic Party to ensure victory in the upcoming election and reiterated his dedication to protecting democracy and American freedoms.
“Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright had a similar message.
“The work has to go on. The people's business has to carry on. And I think you're gonna see the President of the United States continue to do that, while his campaign for re election will also have things that they will have to do as we journey towards November,” he told me. “Democrats must continue to unite around a common cause. And that’s defeating extremism, Trumpism and all the things that come along with this modern-day Republican Party.”
Seawright said Black voters have proven themselves to be the most loyal, dedicated and consistent voting bloc in the country's history, in part because it’s not about total purity from candidates.
“Now, we may have our disagreements with you, but I’ll be damned if we let others express their disagreements, particularly without us sticking up for the people that we show our trust and our support for because in our community, our vote is a demonstration of our trust,” he added. “And whether we 100-percent agree with a candidate or a cause or not, by and large, we always show our loyalty and our appreciation and our trust at the ballot box. And you’re starting to see that play out in real time with rallying behind the former president.”
Moments later, President Biden called into MSNBC’s Morning Joe to reinforce his message and position himself on the side of the working-class voters and communities of color—not the elite members of the press or the political establishment.
“I don’t care what those big names think. They were wrong in 2020,” he said of those who doubted he could win the nomination four years ago. “They were wrong in 2022 about the red wave. They are wrong in 2024.”
He pointed to recent conservative defeats in Europe as forerunners to the fate of the MAGA movement this November.
“France rejected extremism. Democrats will reject it here as well. Trump… is an extreme candidate. I can’t think of a candidate in my lifetime that’s been more extreme.”
President Biden joined Mt. Airy Church of God in Philadelphia to celebrate the church’s 58th anniversary before traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for an event with local union workers.
Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, and Reps. Brendan Boyle and Madeleine Dean were among the Pennsylvania congressional Democrats who greeted Biden when he arrived in Philadelphia.
“It’s good to be home,” Biden said at the church. “I’ve been doing this a long time. And I honestly to God have never been more optimistic about America’s future—if we stick together.”
Between the church visit and the union event, the president stopped by a campaign field office northwest of Philadelphia to greet and speak to supporters and volunteers before they canvassed for him and Democratic candidates down the ballot.
“I know what it’s like to have a rough debate and I’m standing here as your senator,” Fetterman said after Biden’s remarks—a reference to his impaired speech during the 2022 general election following a stroke he suffered three days before his primary victory. “There is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump and he is going to do it twice and put him down for good.”
Dean spoke next about the contrast between Biden and Trump.
“I was there on January 6th and had to be taken out of the Capitol in a gas mask,” she said. “Democracy’s on the line. There’s one man who understands it. It’s Joe Biden.”
Biden stopped at a local coffee shop for a strawberry smoothie before returning to the White House.
Biden was scheduled to speak at the National Education Association’s annual convention on Sunday. But the campaign said he wouldn’t cross the picket line after the union went on strike Friday morning.
He joined a biweekly meeting on Saturday morning with his campaign co-chairs to thank them for their efforts to re-elect him. Sens. Chris Coons (Del.) and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Reps. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.) and former Rep. Cedric Richmond (La.) are among the 10 national co-chairs.
The Biden campaign was buoyed by a new Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll that showed. And while Biden continues to underperform Trump among their 2020 voters, the debate has done little to change the fundamentals of the election. Biden leads Trump in Michigan and Wisconsin but has no advantage in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania—five swing states critical to the president’s path to victory.
Once back in Washington, Biden will prepare to host the NATO Summit this week and on Thursday hold what the White House press corps has dubbed a “big boy” press conference that will feature questions from more reporters than the typical two he calls on during joint pressers with heads of state.
The campaign says he will return to the trail after NATO for a Southwest swing focused on connecting with Black and Latino voters.
Vice President Harris traveled to New Orleans this weekend to speak to Black women in a moderated conversation at the ESSENCE Festival on the administration’s accomplishments during the first time and the stakes of the upcoming election. She wasn’t asked about Biden’s debate performance and didn’t bring it up.
Before the conversation on Saturday, she stopped by a booth sponsored by national Democrats to inform attendees about how to register to vote and check their registration. Harris also took a group photo with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.).
During a separate panel, senior CBC members expressed solidarity with Biden and his decision to remain at the top of the ticket. Several more did so today. A source familiar with the meeting confirmed to me that the CBC will meet with Biden on Zoom tonight. NBC News was the first to report the meeting.
Harris surprised guests at Friday night’s ESSENCE Fest concert by appearing on the stage after rapper Buster Rhymes’s performance.
“I just had to stop by to congratulate ESSENCE on 30 years of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture,” she said. “So, let us enjoy this evening. Let us always celebrate the diversity, the depth and the beauty of our culture.”
Harris will travel to Las Vegas tomorrow for a campaign event with voters from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
She will be in Dallas on Wednesday to deliver the keynote speech at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. national convention. (Harris is an AKA.) The vice president will be in Indiana two weeks later to participate in a moderated conversation at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.‘s national convention.
The Biden campaign announced on Friday a $50 million July ad blitz targeting battleground state voters around key events like the 2024 Olympics and Republican National Convention later this month and the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular and The Bachelorette season premiere last week.
Biden will travel to Las Vegas for the NAACP and UnidosUS conferences. By the end of the month, President and Dr. Biden and Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will have traveled to every battleground state, according to the campaign. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden launched programs targeting AANHPI voters and veterans and military families this morning.
The campaign also announced a $17 million to enhance its field operation, aiming to knock on over three million doors in July and August. Officials say the investment will strengthen their battleground infrastructure, which includes over 1100 staff and 270 field offices, and support voter engagement. The campaign will also collaborate with down-ballot campaigns and apply innovative strategies to reach voters, such as engaging Latino voters during the Copa América and participating in community events like parades and block parties.
In the Know
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Hurricane Beryl landed near southeastern Texas early this morning as a Category 1 storm, leaving almost three million people without power as the storm moved inland. Two people have died in separate incidents after trees fell onto homes in Harris County. A White House official said President Biden is receiving regular updates from his team and senior officials remain in close touch with their state and local counterparts. The Coast Guard and FEMA have prepositioned response personnel—including search and rescue teams. FEMA has also staged bottled water, meals, tarps and electric generators in case they’re needed. Beryl is the second named storm and first major hurricane of the 2024 season. It is the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record for any calendar year. Read the latest at The Texas Tribune.
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The House Oversight Committee announced on Sunday that it will investigate President Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, following the president’s debate performance. Chair Jamie Comer (R-Ky.) is requesting O’Connor agree to a transcribed interview and provide documents related to his alleged involvement in the Biden family’s financial activity. The request is the latest development in the Oversight Committee’s years-long probe into whether Biden used his position as vice president on his family’s behalf in exchange for money and favors. No congressional investigations have discovered any wrongdoing by Biden. Comer said Biden’s performance raised concerns that financial entanglements have influenced Dr. O’Connor’s medical assessments of the president. Read the letter to O’Connor.
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The Transportation Security Administration announced it screened more than three million people at checkpoints nationwide yesterday, surpassing the previous record set on June 23. The White House said that nearly three million people took flights the prior week, with four of the seven busiest travel days of 2024 occurring during the same span.
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The Biden campaign launched a new ad on abortion to remind voters that former President Trump appointed three of the six Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and of the fallout of the Dobbs decision that canceled the almost 50-year national right to abortion care. The 30-second spot is part of the campaign’s $50-million July ad blitz and will run during The Bachelorette season premiere, the Olympic Games on NBC, and the Republican National Convention. It also reflects the focus national Democrats continue to place on reproductive freedom, an issue they believe will energize voters in November. Watch the ad.
Make me smarter. Did I miss something in this post? Is there something else I should know? Drop me a line at michael@onceuponahill.com or send me a message below to get in touch.
Tuesday happenings
All times Eastern
The House is in. House Democrats will hold their weekly caucus meeting at 9 a.m. at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
The House Appropriations Committee will meet at 8 a.m. to markup the 2025 funding bills for the Commerce and Justice Departments and science and environmental agencies. The House Oversight Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will meet at 10 a.m. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing on the Federal Communications Commission 2025 budget request. The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on protecting union workers from antisemitism.
The Senate is in. Senate Democrats will hold their weekly policy lunch at 12:45 p.m. The Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing on how high costs impact children and families. The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the state of child care. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on closing the justice gap. Each of those hearings is at 10 a.m.
President Biden will speak to commemorate the 75th anniversary of NATO. Dr. Biden will attend.
Vice President Harris will hold a campaign event in Las Vegas to energize Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander communities. In the evening, she will travel to Dallas.
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