California Rep. Mark Takano called on President Biden to abandon his campaign for president and boost Vice President Kamala Harris — becoming the latest Democratic lawmaker to say the embattled 81-year-old should step aside.
“President Biden’s greatest accomplishment remains saving democracy in 2020. He can and must do so again in 2024 — by passing the torch to Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party Presidential nominee,” Takano said in a statement posted to X on Saturday.
“It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer.”
“Perhaps no President in my lifetime has accomplished more in a single term or been as decent a human being as Joe Biden,” Takano added — offering the requisite homilies that have become standard in similar statements from lawmakers calling on the commander in chief to withdraw.
“I am proud to have worked with him to keep our country afloat during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic by passing the American Rescue Plan, delivering historic climate change investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, and creating the high-tech jobs of the future with the CHIPS and Science Act,” Takano said.
Takano’s statement, which also insisted that Harris, 59, “is ready for this moment” and has been “an invaluable governing partner” to Biden, puts him in line with fellow California Rep. Adam Schiff and dozens of other lawmakers who have no called on Biden to pack it in.
Top Democratic power-brokers — including former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are all said to be privately agitating for Biden to go.
Biden has vowed that only “God Almighty” will cause him to quit and is gearing up for a busy week of campaigning next week.
On Friday the Democratic National Committee moved to schedule a roll call vote for early August that would formally nominate Biden.