House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he will be meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “shortly” as he withholds an endorsement of her for now.
Jeffries, speaking to reporters at the Capitol Monday, is one of the few high-profile Democrats who have yet to rally around Harris after President Joe Biden dropped his 2024 reelection bid on Sunday and named his vice president as his endorsed successor.
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“I’m excited for that meeting, and let me say this, that Vice President Kamala Harris has excited the community. She’s excited the House Democratic Caucus, and she’s exciting the country, so I’m looking forward to sitting down with her in person in short order,” said Jeffries, who declined to say when the meeting will take place.
Shortly after Jeffries spoke to reporters, he and Schumer released a joint statement, saying that Harris was off to a “great start” in pursuing the presidential nomination “in a manner consistent with the grassroots and transparent process set forth by the Democratic National Committee.”
“She is rapidly picking up support from grassroots delegates from one end of the country to the other. We look forward to meeting in person with Vice President Harris shortly as we collectively work to unify the Democratic Party and the country,” the pair said in a statement that declined to mention an endorsement.
The top House Democrat declined to expand on conversations he had with Biden in the lead-up to the president withdrawing his bid. Reports indicated Jeffries expressed to Biden that congressional Democrats were concerned he would hurt Democratic chances down the ballot.
“President Joe Biden is a heroic, patriotic, and transformational figure and he will go down in history as one of the greatest public servants of all time — that much is clear. I had a private conversation with President Biden to express the perspectives that were wide-ranging of the House Democratic Caucus — that conversation will remain private,” Jeffries said.
Earlier Monday, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) threw her support behind Harris, a fellow Californian, joining a growing list of other Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Jeffries, Schumer, former President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama are the major Democrats who have yet to declare their intentions.
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“Personally I have known Kamala Harris for decades as rooted in strong values, faith and a commitment to public service,” Pelosi said in a statement Monday. “Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute — and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November.”
Harris has sought to shore up support within the Democratic Party quickly and head into the August convention with Biden’s delegates firmly behind her as the Democrats seek to defeat former President Donald Trump.
