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WASHINGTON — On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that he is no longer seeking re-election and supported Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. Following are some reactions from AAPI members of Congress.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside):“Joe Biden ran in 2020 to save our democracy. He has rebuilt our economy, expanded services to veterans, protected marriage rights, and stood up for freedom around the world. Thank you, Mr. President.
“It’s time to unite behind Kamala Harris. We can and will win in November.”
Rep Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park),chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus: “I am forever thankful to and inspired by President Biden for his unwavering commitment to bettering our country. It’s this commitment that has powered his career in public service and the landmark accomplishments of his administration.
“Bringing us out of a once-in-a-century pandemic. Fighting against anti-Asian hate, signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law, and starting the process for a national museum that celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander history.
“Nominating a historic number of women, people of color, and LGTBQ+ Americans for executive positions and judicial roles. Powering an infrastructure and manufacturing boom. Leading an economic comeback unparalleled worldwide.
“Beating Big Pharma and lowering health care costs for Americans. Overseeing the biggest investment in fighting the climate crisis ever and protecting millions of acres of public lands, including the San Gabriel Mountains in my district.
“Championing the first gun safety legislation in decades that is saving lives. Expanding the NATO alliance and fighting authoritarianism around the world. Rebuilding and strengthening our own democracy after the former MAGA president disgraced it and initiated terrible violence on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I can never forget the empathy President Biden showed in a time of immense need for the families of the victims of a mass shooting in my hometown, Monterey Park. I am forever grateful for the hours he spent with us in this selfless act of healing for our community.
“President Biden is a good, decent man who has always been a warrior for the soul of this nation. We are a better nation for his leadership. I thank him for his decades of service and look forward to fighting with him on behalf of the American people for the remainder of his term and beyond.”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance):“President Biden will go down in history as one of the best presidents of our great country. (He) took a nation hurt by the pandemic and turned our country around, ushering in massive job growth, infrastructure and a clean energy and tech revolution. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento):“President Joe Biden is an extraordinary American, phenomenal public servant, and honest, compassionate leader. As a senator, vice president, and president he has dedicated his life to serving the American people. Each and every day, he has brought an unparalleled level of grit and determination to deliver results. I am tremendously proud of the president and his achievements.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we passed some of the most consequential legislation in American history. His body of work has empowered millions upon millions of Americans, lifting up our most underserved and advancing equity and opportunity for communities across the country.
“President Biden delivered on his promises to fight the climate crisis, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, invest in American workers, lower health care costs, and create millions of good-paying jobs. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act are down payments on America’s future, whose monumental investments will be felt for generations to come.
“In the midst of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, after suffering four intensely divisive years, President Biden led us back into the light. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, he provided a unifying voice and vision. He reminded us that the American story is one of progress, possibilities, and resilience. That nothing is beyond the capacity of the American people. By answering the call to serve, he restored our standing on the world stage and brought dignity back to the White House.
“By choosing to step aside as the Democratic nominee he has, again, chosen unity. We all owe President Biden a debt of gratitude. He has put service to his country above all else. We must now double down on our efforts to build on his good work and improve the lives of every American. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Cypress)said Biden’s departure from the race “changes nothing when it comes to the mess he and Kamala Harris have created for Southern California families — a wide open southern border, higher taxes and record cost-of-living increases.”
Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield):“President Joe Biden’s decision to not run for re-election reflects what a lot of Americans know — our country cannot afford or endure another four years of Biden-Harris policies. Every American can empirically compare two presidencies side by side, and there is no doubt that Americans were fundamentally better off under President Trump.
“Democrats have made a political calculation, but they cannot hide or deflect from the consequences of their failed policies.
“Instead of recognizing that President Biden was unfit for office before the primary, Democrats will now sort out their ticket in an unprecedented way by undemocratically ignoring the votes of 14 million Americans. Regardless of who they end up selecting as their nominee, it is clear that our ticket of President Trump and Vice President Vance has the courage and leadership necessary to make our country safer, stronger, and more prosperous again.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii):“Like millions of Americans, I’m extremely grateful for Joe Biden’s service to our country over the past five decades, and his leadership over the last four years. … As the only person to have defeated Donald Trump, President Biden understands as well as anybody how high the stakes are this November, and I respect his decision to pass the baton.
“Working alongside the president, Vice President Harris has played a critical role in the progress we’ve made, and has shown herself ready to lead our party moving forward. In the Senate, I saw first-hand what a fierce, committed, and effective champion Kamala is for the American people. I’m proud to call Vice President Harris a friend and colleague, and I look forward to doing everything in my power to get her elected to the White House, so we can continue building on the progress of the last four years.”
Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii):“President Biden has been a remarkable leader, guiding our nation through some of its most challenging times and making investments that will benefit generations to come. We owe a great deal of gratitude to him for his bold leadership and steadfast commitment to making life better for all Americans.
“I will never forget when he came to Maui following the devastating fires that destroyed Lahaina. He committed the full weight and force of the federal government behind our recovery efforts, but what really struck me was the way he genuinely connected with our people. He held their hands, he listened, and he gave people hope.
“Last week when I spoke with him, he again asked about Maui, and asked how the administration could help. He has always been there for us and is a true friend to Hawai’i.
“It took great courage to do what he has done, and it is an example of how Joe Biden always puts country first. I have nothing but the sincerest aloha for him.
“I join President Biden in fully endorsing Kamala Harris to be our Democratic nominee for president of the United States. I was with Vice President Harris when she spoke at our Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall in Philadelphia last week and for our AANHPI community she made clear that she is one of us, she hears us, and she will empower us.
“We have seen through her leadership and action that she has always been ready and able to step up to lead this country as its commander-in-chief, and I am 100% behind her.
“We must now come together and fight to defend our democracy, and the very basic values of equality, justice, and freedom. The threat of a Trump-Vance presidency and Project 2025 is real.
“We need Kamala Harris as president to be the strong leadership we need in this moment, to protect our democracy, to restore our rights, and to ensure a brighter future for Hawai?i and all Americans.”
Similar statements were issued by Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Ed Case (both D-Hawaii). Earlier this month, Case and former governors John Waihee, Ben Cayetano and Neil Abercrombie sent a letter to Biden urging him to step aside.
The former governors wrote, in part, “Our respective Native Hawaiian, Filipino and Caucasian ancestries are indicative of the diverse reality of Democratic Party values in electoral action. Our ages range from 78 to 84 to 86. We are linked directly generationally and politically to President Biden. We are well aware that the question of withdrawal before us is not one of age as such but aging and its implications and consequences for the overriding task of defeating Donald Trump.”
Hawaii’s current governor, Josh Green, continued to support Biden’s candidacy and was scheduled to speak at a fundraiser for the president in Massachusetts on July 29.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Santa Clara):“Biden will be remembered as an extraordinary president for starting to reverse 40+ years of economic policy that has devastated working class communities. He showed us what it means to put country first to save American democracy and now he is putting our country ahead of self interest.
“I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris as our nominee. Her trailblazing candidacy as the first African American woman and first Asian American will be a jolt of energy in our party. Our party can now run on a message of hope and a vision for the future.”
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Sacramento):“President Biden is the most consequential and effective president of my lifetime. From passing historic investments in infrastructure to restoring American leadership on the world stage, I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish under his leadership. Thank you for your 50+ years of unwavering service and dedication to our great nation.”
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.):“Throughout his career in public service, President Joe Biden has always put his country first. Under his leadership as president, we have made historic progress and passed once-in-a-generation legislation expanding healthcare access, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, addressing gun violence, creating millions of jobs, rebuilding our economy following the COVID-19 pandemic, defending democracy around the world, and so much more.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for your decades of service, belief in the promise of America, and dedication to making communities like Queens a better place for hardworking families, seniors, veterans, and students. Your legacy will undoubtedly create a better future for generations to come.
“I will forever be grateful to President Biden for signing into law key legislation that I pushed such as combating hate crimes, increasing Internet access to schools and libraries and my measure that seeks to create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
“I will also never forget how President Biden delivered for New York. He visited Queens after our borough was devastated by Hurricane Ida, and under his administration, our state has received billions to improve everything from our roads to the environment.
“I am proud to have served as New York’s representative on the House Regional Leadership Council, which has worked to promote and implement the historic legislation he signed into law, and I’m thrilled that Queens has reaped the benefits of many of these bills.
“I’m excited to continue to serve with President Biden as he completes his term.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.),co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, issued the following statement along with co-chairs Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.): “Over the past four years, Joe Biden has solidified his legacy as the most progressive, effective, and consequential president on domestic and economic policy in the modern history of this nation. Amid growing threats to our democracy from right-wing extremism and corporate greed, his presidency will be remembered as one of historic progress for working families, for unions and the labor movement, and for the planet. It is with deep gratitude and respect that our caucus thanks the president for his remarkable service to this nation.
“Our members are united around a common goal: defeating the existential threat to our democracy and livelihood that is Donald Trump and MAGA extremism. And following a vote by the entirety of the Progressive Caucus, our members overwhelmingly agree that Kamala Harris is the candidate to do just that.
“A critical partner in the legislative wins of the last four years, Vice President Harris has demonstrated her ability to deliver on the urgent issues facing working people and marginalized communities.
“Under her leadership, this country has created a record number of jobs, boosted investments in housing and education, increased access to capital for underserved communities, erased medical debt, and forgiven more student loan debt than any administration in history.
“She has worked tirelessly to demonstrate her commitment to creating an economy in which every person has the freedom to thrive, traveling the country non-stop to hear directly from impacted communities.
“Kamala Harris will defeat Donald Trump not only because she offers a stronger economic vision, but because she will defend the fundamental rights and freedoms that MAGA Republicans are attacking across the nation. As Republicans plot a right-wing takeover of our government with Project 2025, Kamala Harris is standing up for our nation’s highest values of freedom, justice, and equality for all.
“The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC joins President Biden in full support of Kamala Harris as our party’s nominee, and we look forward to doing everything possible to ensure victory in November and partnering with her administration to deliver for working Americans.”
Jayapal also said, “We will respond (to Trump’s policies) by finally electing the first woman to the presidency. And as the first South Asian woman elected to the House of Representatives, I look forward to seeing Kamala Harris become the first South Asian American and the first Black woman to serve as the president of the United States of America.”
Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.):“Ten years ago, then Vice President Biden pulled me aside in a hallway outside the Oval Office and said, ‘Andy, remember it’s not that all politics is local, it’s that all politics is personal.’ In his lifetime of service, President Biden has given our country everything he had. He worked so hard to improve our nation because it’s personal for him.
“But he also connected with me and so many others because he cared about us. As a result Biden will go down in history as a leader of consequence and a man who loved his country. His decision to lift up a new generation of leadership is extraordinary and one that cements his legacy. Thank you, President Biden.
“I have full faith in Vice President Harris to lead a new generation of leadership for our country. Her candidacy is historic, not just the opportunity to elect the first woman, the first AAPI president, and a Black woman, but to continue on the incredible progress we’ve started.
“The time to unify is now. The stakes are high. Let’s move forward together.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.):“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.”
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.):“Supporting Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States. Looking forward to Helping Kamala Harris win Michigan and defeat Donald Trump. She is a great progressive leader and someone I respect a lot.”
Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.):“President Biden has faithfully and honorably served our nation. We owe him deep gratitude for all he has done with a sharp focus on improving people’s lives.
“VP Harris has been his partner, and is the most qualified to succeed him. She has my full endorsement and support.”
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.):“The only person best situated to build on that record and defeat Trump is our Vice President @KamalaHarris. She is ready to serve and will make a great president. Let’s get to work!”