Area Republicans call on Biden to resign, Democrats defend him

Jul. 23—washington dc — One member of the U.S. Senate called Monday for President Joe Biden's resignation while others voiced support for him in the wake of his announcement Sunday that he will not seek re-election this coming November.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, released a statement late Monday morning calling for President Biden to resign.

"We live in a dangerous world and deserve a commander in chief who is up for the rigors of the job," Capito said. "If President Biden feels that he is not capable of making it through the demands of a campaign, then how could he be capable of serving out the rest of his term as president?"

Capito also questioned whether the vice president could take over from the president.

"Make no mistake, Vice President Kamala Harris represents a continuation of the last four years of President Biden's disastrous policies," Capito said. "Whether it's her failed leadership on our out-of-control southern border or her deciding vote in passing the so-called Inflation Reduction Act that supercharged the skyrocketing inflation Americans still feel to this day, a Harris administration would be more of the same. As the vice president who cast more tie-breaking deciding votes than any vice president in history, she alone put our nation on the path of misguided progressive policies and nominations outside of the mainstream."

"What is even worse is that members of President Biden's inner circle—including Vice President Harris, White House officials, and Democrat leadership — have let him continue on amidst his apparent cognitive decline. The Biden administration consistently fails to accept responsibility for its many failures" Capito said. "They owe the American people an explanation, most recently in their inadequate and irresponsible actions following the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump."

On the state level, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Monday that he was renewing his call for Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke her powers under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment and declare that Biden is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Morrisey sent the vice president a letter after Biden announced he would not seek the Democratic nomination.

"If Biden is incapable of running, then he is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the presidency," Morrisey said, writing in the letter that since Biden's pitiful debate performance, "leaders from within the Democratic party and others urged President Biden to withdraw from the race, recognizing that the increasingly enfeebled president would be unable to face the rigors of an election."

Morrisey said he sent a letter to the vice president last February urging her to invoke the 25th Amendment. It followed a report from Special Counsel Robert Hur that raised serious concerns about the 81-year-old president's mental and physical condition.

"President Biden's cognitive decline is of great concern to Americans, especially during these times that our nation is facing crisis after crisis both here and abroad," Morrisey said. "We need a president who is mentally fit."

Democratic members of Congress voiced their support for Biden.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA, issued a statement Monday about President Biden and his service.

"As I have been saying for weeks, President Biden is a patriotic American who has always put the needs of our country ahead of himself," Kaine said. "For more than five decades, he has served this country admirably as a senator, vice president, and now president. His decision today reflects the same patriotism that George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt demonstrated when they selflessly put their country above their own political ambitions."

Kaine said Biden helped the country in several ways during his term in office.

"From ushering in an economic recovery from the pandemic that is the envy of the world, to finally rebuilding our roads and bridges, reclaiming our leadership on the international stage, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and capping the cost of insulin, President Biden has achieved historic progress for our country," Kaine said. "I'm deeply grateful for his years of service."

U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner, D-Va., also spoke about President Biden's decision to step aside as the Democratic nominee.

"This nation owes Joe Biden a debt of gratitude for putting everything on hold to run in 2020 and taking the reins as president during a particularly turbulent time," Warner said. "He charted a bright path forward for our nation after four tumultuous years under the former administration. President Biden has made historic contributions to our nation. His love of country and loyalty to the American people has been unwavering. He will undoubtedly go down in the history books as a true American patriot."

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com