Obamas Endorse Harris in Video: What to Know in Washington

Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to become the likely Democratic nominee is revealing the choppy political waters that Sen. Tammy Baldwin is maneuvering in battleground Wisconsin. But first, you should know:

• Harris said she pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war during a meeting yesterday.
• The Trump campaign refused to commit to a debate with Harris just days after Trump said he wants to debate her several times.
• House Republicans got six Democrats to defect from President Joe Biden and vote for a symbolic resolution denouncing his border security policies.

Obamas Endorse Harris as Baldwin Balances Swing-State Wisconsin

Barack and Michelle Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to become the Democratic nominee. A video released this morning shows the couple calling Harris to encourage her campaign.

• “We called to say, Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” the former president said.

The Obamas remain two of the most popular figures in Democratic politics and their endorsement is sure to give another jolt to Harris’ candidacy, which has generated a surge of enthusiasm among party members. Read More

Another Harris endorsement comes from Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who joined the vice president this week at a boisterous rally in the Milwaukee area. However, Baldwin is carefully riding Democratic politics in this roller coaster of an election year, a challenging balancing act in Wisconsin, a must-win state for Democrats if they have any hopes of retaining their Senate majority.

• Baldwin is banking that her 12 years in the Senate built on twin appeals to her liberal base and independents can help secure another term. “My record has shown that I really fight hard for Wisconsinites across the state,” Baldwin told reporters after the rally. Read More

More from the Harris Campaign:

• Harris has begun vetting potential running mates as she faces a tight deadline before a virtual roll call — likely between Aug. 1 and Aug. 7 — to complete the party’s ticket. She is looking for a governing partner who shares her economic values, including bolstering the middle class and creating equal opportunities. Read More
• In a meeting yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris pushed him to accept a cease-fire and warned of the civilian death toll in Gaza. Her comments struck a much more strident tone than the language Biden has customarily used while discussing the conflict. Read More
• Harris officially joined TikTok, capping a surge in popularity of posts with her image. Her campaign has often winked at the internet’s inside jokes in its own messaging in hopes that exuberance will translate into votes. Read More

Meanwhile, Trump has refused to commit to a debate with Harris with a campaign spokesperson saying the debate plans “cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide” on their nominee: “It would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”

• Harris yesterday accused Trump of “backpedaling” on an agreement for a Sept. 10 forum hosted by ABC News, which was previously agreed upon between Trump and Biden before the latter ended his re-election bid. Read More

BIDEN’S SCHEDULE

• 2:45 p.m. — Biden receives a White House briefing on AI.

HARRIS’ SCHEDULE

• Harris has no public events scheduled.

CONGRESS’ AGENDA

• The Senate is out until Monday.
• The House is out through August.
• For the full detailed agenda, read BGOV’s Congress Tracker.

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Symbolic GOP Border Measure Wins Over Six Democrats

Six House Democrats broke ranks and voted for a nonbinding Republican-led resolution (H. Res. 1371) that condemned the Biden administration and Harris over their border-security policies:

• Reps. Mary Peltola (Alaska), Jared Golden (Maine), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), who all represent districts that preferred Trump to Biden in 2020;
• Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas), who sometimes votes with Republicans and represents a district on the US-Mexico border;
• Rep. Don Davis (N.C.), elected by 5 percentage points in 2022, who’s seeking a second term in a swing district Republicans redrew more to their favor; and
• Rep. Yadira Caraveo (Colo.), who joined the others in January to vote for a similar resolution to denounce Biden’s border policies. Caraveo, Colorado’s first Latina member of Congress, was elected by less than one percentage point in 2022 in the competitive and newly drawn 8th District.

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— With assistance from Greg Giroux.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com