Democrats in Congress prepare for internal evaluation amid Biden's tenure

Despite President Joe Biden's active engagement with congressional Democrats, concerns about his re-election run continue to generate chaos in the party, a situation that seems only to get murkier.

The President communicated with a group of his staunchest supporters, predominantly Black legislators, on Monday evening, reassuring them of his loyalty. In line with these efforts, he's scheduled to hold talks with a worried faction of House progressives. Throughout this past week, Biden has personally reached out to roughly 20 Congress members and released a letter reaffirming his commitment to the electoral race on Monday morning.

Yet, anxiety about Biden's electability still remains high within the party.

A limited number of Democrats have publicly urged Biden to abandon his presidential campaign. Nevertheless, dozens of lawmakers, some of whom claim allegiance to Biden, harbour severe doubts about their nominee in private conversations. As per interviews conducted with more than 30 lawmakers and senior assistance, a collective apprehension features prominently: whether it's more detrimental to stick with Biden as the leader or endeavor to replace him.

This ongoing dispute concerning Biden's leadership will be the focal point of two significant meetings amidst Hill Democrats scheduled for Tuesday.

“He's going to need more than just a strong vow,” said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), emphasizing the public's concerns about Biden's ability to serve as commander in chief and the necessity for more than a written reassurance. Morelle, along with numerous other Democrats, privately requested Biden to step down during a phone call Sunday.

Many Democrats feel there's even worse strife brewing over the decision for Biden to continue in the race after expressing concerns about his post-debate performance. This leaves lawmakers and aides in a predicament, unable to anticipate if the caucus will rally behind Biden or endeavor to oust him. They fear the consequences of an indecisive 'in-between', which they believe could cause internal disputes while Republicans unanimously endorse Donald Trump for the upcoming convention.

On Monday, in member-level meetings, House Democrats determined reserving discussions related to Biden until a full caucus meet on Tuesday morning. This meeting promises to be a heated political exchange.

While many are anticipating signals from party leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Jim Clyburn, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, their recent remarks have fueled speculation among some Democrats about their degree of support.

Jeffries reiterated his unwavering support for "President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket" on Monday.

Senior progressives indicate they will wait to hear from other party leaders before taking the next steps. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), while confirming an upcoming meeting with Biden, evaded a direct response when asked about the President's position.

However, some of the most influential liberal representatives, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), have declared their support for Biden.

Despite the continued support of some Democrats, there is significant unease about the lukewarm support from others within the party.

There's more deliberation happening in the Senate as well, Senators are having active discussions about "alternatives" to Biden, which demonstrates skepticism in some quarters. Yet, no Senator has explicitly called for Biden to drop the race.

Senate Democrats will convene for their first physical gathering after the debate at a lunch being held on Tuesday. Here, more deliberation about the nomination and its consequences are expected.

Among the arguments, some Democrats express fear about what could transpire if Biden remains the nominee. Others, though publicly supporting Biden, are privately contemplating multiple 'what if' scenarios, examining what the process could look like to select a new nominee at this stage in an election year.

The broad consensus among Democrats, however, is that this internal focus on their candidate's infirmities rather than Trump's could be detrimental to their election results. This particularly rings true with Trump's nomination ceremony just a week away.

There are calls from some House Democrats for Biden to directly address the caucus. Several lawmakers believe doing so is necessary before determining the "next steps" for the President's candidacy.

Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Chair of the centrist New Democrat Coalition and an ardent Biden supporter, suggested inviting Biden for a private discussion with members.

She noted the fluidity of the situation when asked about Biden's ability to win against Trump: “We're getting polling information. We're getting information from our districts. He’s been a fantastic president.”

Contributions to this report were made by Jordain Carney, Katherine Tully-McManus, Mia McCarthy, David Lim, Brendan Bordelon, Eleanor Mueller, Carmen Paun, Chris Marquette and Josh Siegel.

Olivia Brown for TROIB News