Capitol View for July 25

In a farewell speech that had a touch of concession, President Joe Biden shed light on his decision to step away from the most powerful perch in the world. They were the first on-camera remarks the Democratic president has made since announcing last weekend he had ended his bid for a new term. Biden, speaking from the Oval Office last night , said he realized he had to hand the political torch over after some 50 years in public life. "I revere this office, but I love my country more,” Biden said, making a case for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. He said of Harris, “She’s experienced. She's tough. She's capable. She's been an incredible partner to me, and a leader for our country.”

It wasn’t the only big speech in Washington yesterday. In his speech to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s approach to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu vowed “total victory” against Hamas and condemned Americans protesting the war in Gaza. His speech offered no sign that his visit to the U.S. could bring some progress in months of ceasefire mediations. He also praised former President Donald Trump “for all he's done for Israel.” Netanyahu is set to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday and with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.

U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Betty McCollum skipped Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress yesterday. The two were among a larger group of lawmakers that chose to sit out of the prime minister’s speech due to Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Omar said Netanyahu does not deserve the honor of addressing Congress, calling the Israeli leader a war criminal and the creator of one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history. A guest of Omar’s was arrested for an act of disturbance, which Omar said was shouting at Netanyahu. “The courage my guest displayed today at the joint address was inspiring. He could not stand to listen to his harmful rhetoric,” Omar said in a prepared statement. Following the prime minister’s speech to Congress, McCollum released a statement slamming Netanyahu. “He used the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to make blatantly political attacks on American citizens who disagree with his policies.” Six other members of Minnesota's House delegation and the state’s two U.S. senators attended the speech.

Speculation surrounding Gov. Tim Walz’s fate on a presidential ticket could be decided as early as next week. Clay Masters reports that the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee, co-chaired by Walz, approved a plan Wednesday that gives presidential candidates until Saturday to declare they’re running and submit the necessary show of support to move ahead. The window closes Tuesday and a virtual roll call will follow soon after. The timeline is short because Democrats want to nominate their new candidate ahead of their mid-August convention to avoid potential legal issues surrounding a ballot deadline in Ohio. According to a statement from the committee, the nomination of a vice presidential candidate will also come quickly because the party needs to settle its entire ticket. So far Harris has no known opposition to becoming the party nominee.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig threw her endorsement behind Gov. Tim Walz for Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick. She isn’t the only one. Craig is the second member of the Minnesota congressional delegation to voice support for Walz for the No. 2 spot (U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum was first). “I know what it takes to run and win tough races — so does Tim Walz,” Craig wrote in a post on X . “We are in the middle of one of the most consequential presidential races in our country’s history — and we need a battle-tested leader on the ticket.” Walz’s former U.S. House colleague and ex-Texas Senate/presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke also vouched for Walz, calling him “The real deal.” March For Our Lives founder and Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg is promoting Walz for the VP pick and said Walz is, “the way to lock up the youth vote.”

As former President Donald Trump prepares to hold a campaign rally in Minnesota, his campaign and other Republicans are drawing renewed attention to a bail fund that Vice President Harris endorsed in 2020. The Minnesota Freedom Fund, which was used to aid people arrested during protests after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody, has also been linked to a few cases where people released from jail committed other violent crimes. MPR’s Matt Sepic looked into the political ramifications of that single Harris tweet — she never gave money to the fund herself — and the way the money in the account has been used. Expect to hear more about it as Republicans look to define Harris, a former prosecutor. On MPR News yesterday afternoon, Rep. Tom Emmer said Harris had “encouraged her supporters to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to release people that should have stayed behind bars.” He cited two cases where people released committed other crimes, saying “it is splitting hairs to say somehow she is not responsible for her actions.”