Local lawmakers react to President Joe Biden's withdrawal from election

Jul. 22—Local and state lawmakers offered their reactions on Sunday to President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 election and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.

U.S. Representative Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said in a statement:

"Washington Democrats have dismissed the American people's concerns for months regarding President Biden's ability to serve. They have now succeeded in pressuring him out of seeking another four year term. The question is, if the White House staff and congressional Democrats know he's unfit to run a presidential campaign, then how is he fit to run the country?"

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, said in a statement:

"No one has done more for working Americans than Joe Biden — and so many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he's done to improve our country.

"Over more than 50 years in public service, he's built an unparalleled record of accomplishments. From helping write the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate to shepherding the Affordable Care Act into law as Vice President and from helping guide our nation out of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic to overseeing historic wage and job growth during his Presidency, Joe Biden has always put our country first and worked to change so many aspects of our lives for the better.

"From the bottom of my heart, I thank him for his effective and successful leadership and for, once again, putting our country before himself. This difficult decision ensures that Democrats can focus on the goal that unites each and every one of us: defeating Donald Trump and preventing another four years of his destructive chaos and corruption."

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Mahomet, said in a statement:

"Kamala Harris led the Democrats' cover-up of Joe Biden's severe cognitive decline. Their donors only forced Biden out once they got 'caught.' 'Border Czar' Kamala Harris must answer for the deadly invasion of our southern border and her cover-up of Biden's cognitive decline. The American people deserve to know who is actually running the country right now since the Democrats are finally admitting it is not Joe Biden."

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, said in a statement:

"If Joe Biden does not believe he is fit to run for another four years, then he is unfit to serve as President. It is not just the American people who are seeing Biden's decline but our enemies as well. For the sake of our nation's safety and security, Joe Biden must resign immediately.

"The leaders in the Democratic Party clearly knew about Biden's decline but only when it became clear Biden could not win did, they push him out. If their motivations were for the good of the country, Democratic party leaders would have made this move a long time ago, but they didn't. Now, in their desperation to hang onto power, they have pushed out a sitting president and in the coming days, they will choose another standard bearer for their party.

"The name at the top of the ticket may change, but the radical agenda will stay the same. No candidate the Democrats nominate will support the policies we need to secure our borders, make the US energy independent, lower taxes, or reduce inflation. Joe Biden's decline may have accelerated his slide in the polls, but his policies were what started the slide in the first place. Repackaging bad policies with a new candidate won't win over the American people. The only candidate who will roll back Biden's harmful policies is Donald J. Trump."