Connecticut lawmakers react to Biden’s decision

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., after he was introduced to speak at the National Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., Friday, June 16, 2023. The summit is attended by gun safety advocates, families affected by gun violence and local leaders. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

State lawmakers reacted Sunday to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is withdrawing from the presidential race.

“President Biden’s decision today ― like all of his public service over many decades ― was motivated by his patriotism and deep love for America and its democracy,” U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, which covers eastern Connecticut, said in a statement Sunday.

Courtney joined several other Democrats who praised Biden’s decision to leave office as an act of patriotism and dedication to the country.

“He knows the risk Donald Trump poses to our democracy, and he has determined that our highest priority must be defeating Trump this fall,” said Senator Chris Murphy. “I know this decision was painful for him, but again, his love of country shines through. A nation turns its grateful eyes to Joe Biden for his world-changing service and his consistent selflessness.”

Murphy said this and several other Biden accomplishments, including leading the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilding the economy and creating more jobs than any other president in his first term, show how Biden “has always put his country first.”

Murphy’s statement echoed that of Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, when the two said Biden would go down as one of the most effective and influential presidents in the country’s history.

“He was the compassionate, courageous leader our country desperately needed in a time of crisis,” Blumenthal said in his statement Sunday. “Over the past four years, he has overseen the passage of enormously impactful legislation that will benefit generations of Americans. Joe is a smart, strategic fighter who always — always — looks out for the little guy. I am incredibly grateful for his lifetime of service and his unwavering, steadfast commitment to the future of our country.”

Murphy and Blumenthal’s comments came just two weeks after the two senators and several other Democrats in the state publicly endorsed Biden following his CNN debate with former President Donald Trump, which raised questions about whether the president was mentally focused enough to continue his job. The two did not name a successor in their comments.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) joined Courtney in endorsing Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic Party in the November elections and beyond.

In her statement, DeLauro called Biden the most successful president since Franklin D. Roosevelt and a champion of the middle class who fought for Americans every day. She added that his decision to leave office was “a courageous decision for the good of the country.”

State Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and House Speaker Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) also endorsed Harris in a joint statement.

“President Biden’s selfless decision to step aside and pass the torch to Vice President Harris is a sign of his dedication to public service and his commitment to the best interests of the American people,” the statement began.

Attorney General William Tong said he wanted to be like Biden when he was a child.

“I remember seeing Senator Biden in an interview on ’60 Minutes’ during the 1988 campaign. I was 15 years old. I remember being struck by his strength, his confidence, even his bravado — and that’s when I started thinking I wanted to be like Joe,” he said.

Tong said that 35 years later, Biden remains a role model: strong, confident and committed to the peace, prosperity and security of Americans.

“I am grateful for his leadership of our country and, as attorney general, for his partnership in all we have done together during his incredible presidency,” he added.

State Republican Party leader cries murder

The state’s Republican Party chairman, Ben Proto, issued a statement Sunday saying the “Democratic Party is in shambles and they have no plan to help the average American in Connecticut.”

Proto criticized Biden’s move as being inconsistent with a fair primary process.

“Rather than allowing for a transparent and open primary process,” Proto said, “it appears the Democratic Party is maneuvering behind the scenes to select a candidate who fits the agenda of politicians rather than one who reflects the will of the people.”

He added that Biden was forced or “forcibly” to resign, pointing to a “disturbing lack of democratic process within the Democratic Party.”

“In short, Democratic leaders and the Democratic Party have, for the first time in American history, attempted to impeach a sitting president of the United States in an effort to protect their own power and position — all at the expense of America and Americans,” he said.

While Proto criticized Biden for record inflation, rising prices of daily necessities, unprecedented border crossings and his diminished standing on the international stage, he also thanked him for decades of public service and wished him happiness and joy in his “forced retirement.”

Proto endorsed the Republican ticket of Trump and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, to “get us back on track, protect our country, make life affordable again, and make America great again.”

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