The two highest-ranking Democrats in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries , endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new nominee for president on Tuesday.
At a press conference with the two New York lawmakers in attendance, Schumer said he and Jeffries had been respecting Harris’ wishes to earn support for the nomination “from the grassroots up, not top down” and were waiting on publicly endorsing her.
“Now that the process has played out ... we are here today to throw our support behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” Schumer said, noting that Harris had earned support from a majority of Democratic delegates.
“She said she would work to earn the support of our party, and boy, has she done so in quick order,” he continued.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at their press conference to endorse Kamala Harris.
Harris raised a record-breaking $81 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign, largely from small donors and first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle. She’s also raked in endorsements from a majority of her party in Congress and every Democratic governor.
“Kamala Harris and her candidacy has excited and energized the House Democratic Caucus, the Democratic Party and the nation,” Jeffries said, adding, “She is ready, she is willing, she is able to energetically and emphatically lead America into the future.”
Schumer said he and Jeffries would “soon” be meeting with Harris.
He also declined to say whether the two of them played a role in encouraging President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race in light of his ailing polling numbers against GOP nominee Donald Trump. However, Schumer reportedly pushed senators and donors to privately relay their concerns to Biden and his staff following his disastrous debate against Trump, and he reportedly advised Biden to drop out of the race earlier this month. Similar reports have emerged about Jeffries.
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