Washington state leaders react to Biden’s decision to drop out

President Joe Biden announced his decision not to run for reelection on Sunday, with Washington state leaders and politicians sharing their thoughts on the decision.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee shared a statement, saying, “As he’s done for five decades, Joe Biden put his country first.”

Representative Adam Smith applauded Biden for making the “right decision”, and thanked him for his over 50 years of public service.

Senator Maria Cantwell spoke on President Biden’s legacy and victories.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell thanked President Biden, saying, “I’m grateful for his remarkable decades of service.”

From U.S. Senator Patty Murray:

“America owes a deep debt of gratitude to Joe Biden for his historic leadership—a true patriot who loves this country. In 2020, he saved American democracy by beating Donald Trump, and he has led one of the most successful Presidential administrations in history: building our economy back up after a devasting pandemic, delivering on historic legislative triumphs, uniting the world against dictators like Putin, and restoring decency and integrity to the White House. I am so proud to call Joe my President, and I have such a profound respect for his willingness to pass the torch.   “We must beat Donald Trump—and I know Kamala Harris can win. I am behind Vice President Harris one-hundred percent—she is exactly the woman we need to prosecute the case against Donald Trump, save American democracy, lead the fight to restore abortion rights, and build an economy that puts working people—not billionaires—first. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as our next President.”

From Congresswoman Kim Schrier:

“President Biden’s decision to not seek reelection is another example of his selflessness and commitment to our country. He showed that heart of service over decades in the Senate, as our Vice President, and most of all, by rescuing our nation from four more years of a corrupt and reckless Trump administration. Now, by passing the torch to a new generation of leaders, President Biden sets an inspiring example of putting country above self. We will forever be grateful for his commitment to our country and his decades of service. I have no doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history.”

From the League of Conservation Voters:

“Today we celebrate President Biden’s unparalleled leadership to address the climate crisis and environmental injustices, supercharge the clean energy economy and restore America’s global leadership. Thank you, President Biden, for all you have done to transform our economy, create jobs, lower costs, protect clean air and water, preserve our public lands and invest in the communities that have historically powered our country and the communities of color and low-wealth communities that have been disproportionately burdened with pollution and climate impacts,” said former EPA Administrator and LCV Board Chair Carol M. Browner.

“We are forever grateful to President Biden, the most pro-environment, pro-climate president ever and by far. The Biden-Harris administration has taken more than 300 actions to date to protect clean air and water, advance a just transition to a clean energy economy, address environmental injustice, and protect our public lands and waters. President Biden fought tirelessly for the historic investments in climate, clean energy, and environmental justice in the Inflation Reduction Act, the single biggest thing our country has ever done to address the climate crisis,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski.

From Representative Rick Larsen:

“The stakes in this election are high and the choice is as clear as ever.

Democrats are delivering results for working families and upholding our shared values while the party of Trump is focused on undermining working families and dismantling the progress we have made as a nation. I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved. We lowered healthcare costs for seniors and ensured the government can negotiate lower prescription costs for families. We passed the PACT Act to ensure healthcare for veterans that were exposed to toxic burn pits. During the longest stretch of low unemployment, we delivered 15.8 million jobs by passing the largest investment in repairing and building the next generation of roads, bridges and highways. And we are the only party fighting to restore reproductive freedom in this country. We are not done working for you. As a party we will continue to deliver results that count for your family and your pocketbook. I laud President Biden’s vision and leadership. With him in the White House our agenda became a reality for the American people. I believe that we can build on these accomplishments and continue to deliver results that matter. We must continue to create an economy that works for everyone and understand that everyday Americans are struggling to make ends meet. We must protect reproductive freedom and continue to lower healthcare costs. And we must protect our democracy, our environment and our voting rights. All of this is possible when we elect the Democratic ticket – from the White House to retaking the House majority and maintaining the majority in the Senate. With your help and your vote, together we can build on these victories and deliver for the American people.”

The United Food and Commercial Workers 3000:

“We thank President Joe Biden for his decades of leadership, his advances for the working people of our nation, and we applaud him for stepping aside and opening the path for the next generation of pro-worker leaders in this country. Workers having a voice – at their jobs and the ballot box – is one of the strengths of our democracy and their interests should be at the heart of any political party. While the Democratic nominee is not yet determined, we remain committed to campaigning for a pro-worker Presidential candidate that has a strong path to defeat Donald Trump.”

From Attorney General Bob Ferguson:

“Like many Washingtonians, I am grateful that President Joe Biden has decided to suspend his campaign for re-election. After many weeks of discussion and speculation, Democrats can now return to focusing on the imperative of defeating the Donald Trump / JD Vance Republican ticket. I know President Biden feels this way as well, and while the decision was clearly difficult for him and his family, it was the right decision to make– for America, and for his legacy as an outstanding President.

I am excited that Democrats can now rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who can unify our party and country. Vice President Harris was Attorney General of California when I was first elected Washington’s Attorney General. She is smart, hardworking, and tough. She’ll never back down to powerful interests – and she genuinely cares about people. She is a prosecutor who has put away criminals. She’s exactly the fighter we need to take on a convicted felon in November and win, and I am proud to offer her my endorsement and support.

In his first four years, Donald Trump did real damage to our country and values. A second term, backed by a Supreme Court taking unprecedented steps to empower him, will be even worse. This is why I am determined to do whatever is in my power to defeat him, to protect our freedoms and defend our democracy.

We owe President Biden, a good man and patriot, our deepest thanks for defeating Trump in 2020. He has been a strong and principled leader, ushering America through the challenge of pandemic recovery, enacting transformational investments in American manufacturing and infrastructure jobs, and leaving us in a stronger position domestically and on the world stage. He preserved and protected our democracy at a critical moment in our nation’s history and restored civility to the White House.

The stakes for our country are extraordinarily high. We have a lot of work to do, but I am confident we will prevail in November because a majority of Washingtonians and Americans of all political stripes are ready to cast their ballots – in record numbers – to defend our democracy and protect our freedoms.”

From U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal:

“President Joe Biden has been the most progressive and effective President on domestic and economic policy in my lifetime. It has been an incredible honor to work alongside him to pass truly historic legislation that has lifted up working and poor people across the country and fundamentally changed the nature of government so that it works for people not for the wealthiest billionaires and largest corporations. President Biden has never forgotten where he came from or what it means for people to know that he has their backs. His leadership has been unparalleled, with the results crystal clear with the record of achievements: the lowest unemployment in over 50 years; the biggest investment in taking on climate change in history; an historic investment in rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure with union and green jobs; taking on Big Pharma to reduce the cost of prescription drugs; being the most pro-union president in history and fostering the tremendous energy of workers organizing across the country; the clear focus on investing in communities that have been disproportionately affected by structural racism and economic inequities; serving as the most pro-union president in history and enabling the largest movement of worker organizing in recent history; and historic appointments to key positions including the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice and his historic appointment of Kamala Harris as his Vice President, partner and nation’s leader on abortion rights, among many other issues. I am forever grateful to President Biden for saving our country from COVID and a Donald Trump presidency, and for the tremendous legacy of service he has given to our country.

“I know President Biden’s decision to step aside this election comes after careful and deliberative consideration of the best path forward to win the House, Senate, and White House, and protect our democracy –– which has always remained his top priority. I respect his decision and I applaud his full-throated endorsement of Vice President Harris to be our Democratic nominee who will continue President Biden’s legacy, defeat Donald Trump, win the House and the Senate and defend our rights and freedoms.

“Millions of Americans cast their ballots for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the primary. Vice President Harris has proven time and time again that she can prosecute the case against Donald Trump and campaign vigorously for Democrats down the ballot. She will mobilize and energize our base to re-engage and ensure that we turn out every single voter across the country and deliver victory in November. She has been a partner to President Biden in pushing the Biden-Harris Administration’s achievements, and she has embraced the Biden-Harris 100-day agenda that will energize the country toward a vision of what we must and will implement when we keep the White House and Senate and take back the House: restoring Roe v. Wade,

signing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, capping rent increases to 5 percent, expanding Social Security and Medicare, ending all medical debt, raising the minimum wage, passing the PRO Act, and more.

“At a time when Donald Trump and his Republican Party have stripped away women’s reproductive freedoms, we will respond 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 first Black woman to serve as the President of the United States of America. Democrats must immediately unite so we can focus on winning in November. I look forward to casting my vote for Kamala Harris for President and doing everything I can to ensure she becomes our next President.”

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