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Hakeem Jeffries to bring Democrats’ concerns to Biden about his campaign by Friday
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries plans to convey the growing concerns of his caucus about President Biden’s campaign directly to the president, an aide to Jeffries confirmed. When asked how or when, the aide would only offer, “by Friday.”
As he exited the House floor Wednesday, Jeffries said, “We are continuing to have candid and clear-eyed conversations with the House Democratic Caucus throughout the week, and that is the focus of our activity today, tomorrow, and we’ll see where we go from there.” Politico first reported Jeffries’ plan to approach the president.
Jeffries’s plans come as the number of House Democrats publicly calling on Mr. Biden to relinquish his place on the ticket has now risen to eight, with the addition of Rep. Pat Ryan, of New York, who said he’s “asking Joe Biden to step aside” in the upcoming election to “deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
The Democratic leader described his conversations with colleagues as “a family discussion,” and when asked whether Mr. Biden is a part of that family, Jeffries responded, “We are a separate and co-equal branch of government. We have the right and the responsibility on behalf of all the people that we represent, to have these conversations with ourselves about the path forward in the best interests of the American people.”
One source said that part of the impetus to wrap up the conversations this week is that House members will be in their districts and traveling next week.
Democratic congressional aides said there is no plan for top Biden advisers to meet with House Democrats, though senators will be hearing from them Thursday. Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Wednesday she’s still expecting a Biden meeting for her group, and she expects to get details this week on time and date.
The chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Judy Chu, said Tuesday her group has requested a meeting or call with the president, similar to one he joined with the Congressional Black Caucus and is likely to do with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She hasn’t received a response yet.
Though the president told congressional Democrats in a letter this week that he’s “firmly committed” to running, some Democrats in Congress are still suggesting he faces a decision about continuing his campaign and that his future on the ticket remains an open question.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when asked Wednesday morning whether he has her support to lead the ticket, deferred to Mr. Biden, saying that “it’s up to the president” to decide if he’s going to run.
“We’re all encouraging him to make that decision,” she said on MSNBC. “Because time is running short.”
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Yellowstone hiker burned when she falls into scalding water near Old Faithful, park officials say
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. — A New Hampshire woman suffered severe burns on her leg after hiking off-trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling into scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser, park officials said.
The 60-year-old woman from Windsor, New Hampshire, along with her husband and their leashed dog were walking off a designated trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead on Monday afternoon when she broke through a thin crust over the water and suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg, park officials said. Her husband and the dog weren’t injured.
The woman was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho for treatment.
National Park Service / Jacob W. Frank
Park visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in those areas is fragile and thin and there’s scalding water just below the surface, park officials said.
Pets are allowed in limited, developed areas of Yellowstone park but are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The incident is under investigation. The woman’s name wasn’t made public.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, park officials said in a statement. The park had recorded 3.5 million visitors through August this year.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 3,471-square-mile national park since 1890, park officials have said.
TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver has defeated Republican small businessman Carmen Bucco in a contest in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District that opened up because of the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in April.
McIver will serve out the remainder of Payne’s term, which ends in January. She and Bucco will face a rematch on the November ballot for the full term.
McIver said in a statement Wednesday that she stands on the “shoulders of giants,” naming Payne as chief among them.
She cast ahead to the November election, saying the right to make reproductive health choices was on the ballot as well as whether the economy should benefit the wealthy or “hard working Americans.”
“I will fight because the purpose of politics and the purpose of our vote is to give the people of our communities and our nation a bold voice,” she said.
Bucco congratulated McIver on the victory in a statement but said he’s looking forward to the rematch in November.
“I am not going anywhere,” he said in an email. “We still have a second chance to make district 10 great again!”
Who are LaMonica McIver and Carmen Bucco?
McIver emerged as the Democratic candidate in a crowded field in the July special election. A member of the city council of New Jersey’s biggest city since 2018, she also worked for Montclair Public Schools as a personnel director and plans to focus on affordability, infrastructure, abortion rights and “protecting our democracy,” she told The Associated Press earlier this summer.
Bucco describes himself on his campaign website as a small-business owner influenced by his upbringing in the foster system. He lists support for law enforcement and ending corruption as top issues.
The 10th District lies in a heavily Democratic and majority-Black region of northern New Jersey. Republicans are outnumbered by more than 6 to 1.
It’s been a volatile year for Democrats in New Jersey, where the party dominates state government and the congressional delegation.
Among the developments were the conviction on federal bribery charges of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who has denied the charges, and the demise of the so-called county party line — a system in which local political leaders give their preferred candidates favorable position on the primary ballot.
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who’s running for Menendez’s seat, and other Democrats brought a federal lawsuit challenging the practice as part of his campaign to oust Menendez, who has resigned since his conviction.