The whip count on Dems' Biden crisis

An evening recap of the action on Capitol Hill and preview of the day ahead

Jul 08, 2024 View in browser   By Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team Democrats will face an incredibly high-stakes unity test as lawmakers confront a swarm of reporters for the first time since President Joe Biden's debate performance. | Susan Walsh/AP WHERE HOUSE DEMS STAND ON BIDEN The proverbial dam hasn’t broken against President Joe Biden — at least not yet. But the next 24 hours on the Hill will be critical. Over the past week, a trickle of House Democrats have publicly said they want Biden off the top of the ticket come November. By Monday morning, Biden reiterated in both private comments to donors and in a public letter to Hill Democrats that he was staying in the race. He’s also called more than 20 lawmakers since his debate performance in an effort to tamp down concerns from fellow Democrats, several people familiar with his conversations told POLITICO. Monday evening will test if that’s enough. Democrats will face an incredibly high-stakes unity test as lawmakers confront a swarm of reporters for the first time since the debate. By POLITICO’s count, at least nine House Democrats want Biden to drop out – with dozens more privately expressing concerns. Then Tuesday morning, the entire Democratic caucus will gather at their campaign headquarters, a meeting that could prove decisive for Biden’s future. Regardless, it’s a surreal moment when members of the Democratic Party are calling for a change to the top of the ticket just four months before voters cast their ballot for the 2024 election. Here’s a look at where Hill Democrats stand (this reflects both public and private comments we’ve reported): Nine have called on Biden to drop out. Reps. Mike Quigley (Ill.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.), Seth Moulton (Mass.), Angie Craig (Minn.), Joe Morelle (N.Y.), Adam Smith, (Wash.), Mark Takano (Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (N.Y.). Six have expressed concerns without asking Biden to step aside. Reps. Jim Himes (Conn.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Don Beyer (Va.), Rick Larsen (Wash.), Susan Wild (Pa.) and Greg Landsman (Ohio) are not coming directly out against Biden but have expressed reservations, publicly and privately, that something needs to change to reassure voters he can win in November. Numerous steadfast Biden supporters: The Congressional Black Caucus — led by Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) — has firmly backed Biden so far. Its members, many of whom are institutionalists who see the bloc as the “conscience of the Congress,” put out strong statements of support for Biden Monday. Notably, Biden is set to meet with CBC members Monday evening after House votes, a sign that he counts them as strong allies as he works to reassure other Hill Democrats. A senior CBC member, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) has been one of Biden’s closest allies, and keeping the CBC on his side is vital to maintaining the party’s support. Lawmakers on the CBC have noted that it’s mostly white members of Congress who have called for Biden to step aside so far and are resolved to stick with the candidate who they believe delivered for the Black community. There have also been dozens of lawmakers — Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), Grace Meng (N.Y.), Norma Torres (Calif.), and Haley Stevens (Mich.) to name a few — who have come out in support of Biden in TV interviews, posts on X and comments to reporters. But there’s still some time between now and the Democratic National Convention. And not everyone is talking yet. — Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu, with assist from Sarah Ferris    Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.     GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, July 8, where we’re wearing comfortable shoes this week as we run after lawmakers. WHY THE SENATE IS STAYING MUM ON BIDEN As we chronicled above, Biden is losing House Democrats by the day. But not a single Senate Democrat has called on Biden to step aside. It’s easy to chalk that fact up to the difference between House and Senate personalities (we could write you a long list). But it’s more than that. First and foremost: The Senate is old. Many aging senators have faced their own questions on their capacity to serve. And two Democratic senators in their 80s are running for reelection this year — a side-by-side that could become painful if Senate Democrats start criticizing one octogenarian and not others. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats and is running for reelection at 80, was “concerned” about the president’s debate performance but wants to see him have more “unscripted” moments, per a spokesperson.  Turning on Biden would be messy messaging for some very high-profile races. Republican campaign arms are already hammering battleground Democrats who defended Biden over concerns about his age pre-debate. If Senate Democrats begin an about-face now, it could be immediate GOP campaign fodder. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.) brushed aside a question on Biden being tied to battleground Democrats, saying that Democratic candidates are “going to do fine.” Many of these senators have served with Biden in the chamber. That’s different from the House. And Biden stuck by many upper chamber Democrats during their own thorny reelection bids. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) recalled a time when, during his own reelection push, he had a sub-par debate. He said Biden stood by him, and now the senator has “no interest in walking away” from the president. Still, plenty of senators say they’re eager for the caucus to have a larger conversation. “This is an opportunity for us all to get together and talk about the future,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said. “But I think we have to begin with the recognition that he's had a very productive presidency. And I think he is capable.” — Ursula Perano, with an assist from Eleanor Mueller REPUBLICANS RALLY AGAINST ‘ABUSE OF TELEWORK’ The House Republican overseeing the largest domestic spending bill wants to use his fiscal 2025 funding measure to target federal employees who work remotely while being paid premium D.C.-area rates. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), who oversees the funding bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, has secured language in a forthcoming report accompanying his bill that targets the “excessive abuse of telework.” Aderholt wants to require the agencies under his bill to disclose online how many of their workers occupy office space in D.C.-area federal buildings — and also tabulate how many of their full-time employees there (who are entitled to enhanced cost-of-living adjustments) are failing to report to the office more than one day a week over the past year. In an interview, Aderholt said he was “shocked” to learn about federal offices still sitting largely vacant four years after the onset of the pandemic. His push is the latest reflection of GOP frustration over the rise of remote work in the federal bureaucracy. While the Biden administration has taken steps to urge federal workers back to the office, many Republicans argue that progress is too slow. According to the most recent report from the Office of Personnel Management based on fiscal 2022 data, about 46 percent of all federal employees participate in some kind of routine or situational telework, though the number of workers eligible for telework and taking advantage of it is declining. “For the average American showing up to work every day is a fact of life; they deserve a government that reflects that reality,” the report accompanying Aderholt’s funding bill is expected to say. “Approvals for remote work should be made on an individual case by case basis and done only to serve the best interests of the program and the American public.” — Caitlin Emma   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     TEAM SANCHEZ MOURNS Rep. Linda Sanchez’ (D-Calif.) office is mourning the death of legislative director Chandler Mason. “Chandler was a force to be reckoned with, living a life of service, and guided by her fierce intellect and passion. She was a tremendous mentor with a caring heart, and when she took the helm of what she referred to as our ‘brilliant legislative team,’ she went the extra mile to cultivate her colleagues’ unique talents,” Sanchez said in a statement Monday. We’re sending our thoughts to all those who knew Chandler on the Hill. — Katherine Tully-McManus HUDDLE HOTDISH Katie Britt was surprised by a selfie-taker. Overheard at Cups: A young staffer recounting the panic of hearing about D.C.’s water-boil order last week … while sipping a frozen cocktail at Mission Navy Yard late Wednesday night. QUICK LINKS  Biden’s fate could come down to House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, from Edward-Isaac Dovere at CNN GOP town halls outnumber Democratic town halls, from Heavyn Lester at LegiStorm The Shade Room built a massive Black audience. Candidates want in, from Janay Kingsberry at The Washington Post Mike Johnson details conservative vision for U.S. foreign policy, from Abigail Hauslohner at The Washington Post Rep. John Garamendi announced his cancer diagnosis. House Democrat joins donor discussion about replacing Biden on ballot from Michael Scherer and Tyler Pager at The Washington Post TRANSITIONS  Reid Dagul is now chief of staff for Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.). He previously was director of government affairs at the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association. Adam Hornbuckle is now Long Island regional director for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He previously was director at Threshold Group. Geo Saba, chief of staff for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), is leaving to do a JD/MBA at Stanford. He’ll join Khanna's campaign as a senior adviser. Marie Baldassarre, his communications director, will become chief of staff. Kevin Fox has been promoted to be deputy chief of staff and continues as legislative director while Sarah Drory will move up to be communications director. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. TUESDAY’S AROUND THE HILL 2:30 p.m. Sens. Chuck Grassley, Bill Cassidy, and Ron Johnson will hold a roundtable about Unaccompanied Migrant Children. (SD-608) TRIVIA LAST WEEK’S ANSWER: Carla Zeppieri was the first to correctly guess that the two senators representing the same state who were both born in the same state, but not the one they represent, are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). TODAY’S QUESTION, from Carla: Who is the only member of Congress to win a special election to the House and lose a primary for the next full-term on the same day? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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