President Joe Biden tells the nation that he stepped out of the presidential race to unite the nation, and the House votes on resolution to rebuke Vice President Kamala Harris on the Biden administration's border policy.

In Oval Office address, Biden says best way to 'unite' country is to 'pass the torch'

Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday days after bowing out of his bid for a second term, President Joe Biden told the American public that the best way to unite the nation was to “pass the torch to a new generation.” 

“I revere this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”

The primetime address — the president’s first remarks on-camera since he announced he was stepping out of the race in a sudden and stunning move on Sunday afternoon — was billed as Biden’s chance to explain his decision.

And on Wednesday, Biden, who has often painted his predecessor and the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, as a threat to democracy made clear that while he believed his accomplishments in office warranted a second term, his decision came down to putting American democracy first. 

“Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said in the Oval Office, surrounded by aides and members of his family. “That includes personal ambition.”

“There's also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices,” Biden, who is 81 years old, continued. “That time and place is now.”

The president praised his vice president, Kamala Harris, whom he endorsed on Sunday, as ”tough,” “capable” and an “incredible partner.” 

“Now the choice is up to you, the American people,” Biden said, later reminding the public that history, power and the idea of America “lies in your hands.” 

“This sacred task of perfecting our union. It's not about me, it's about you, your families, your futures, it's about ‘We the People,’” the president said. “We can never forget that and I never have.”

He made clear — despite calls from Republicans for him to resign — that he is determined to accomplish more in his last six months in the Oval Office, mentioning growing the economy, protecting the right to vote and the right to choose, keeping NATO strong and ending the war in Gaza. 

He also said he would call for reforms to be implemented at the Supreme Court, a move that could resonate with his fellow Democrats.

“I ran for President four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake, the very nature of who you are was at stake,” he said. “That's still the case.”

Biden’s announcement to drop out of the race on Sunday put to bed weeks of division among Democrats over whether he was the best candidate to take on Trump in November in the wake of the president’s debate performance last month that sent a wave of panic through the party. 

Within hours of Biden dropping out and endorsing his vice president, the Democratic Party swiftly coalesced around Harris, who has now secured enough support from delegates to be their 2024 nominee. 

After Biden's speech on Wednesday, he stepped out of the Oval Office and into the Rose Garden to thank the hundreds of gathered White House staffers. In typical Biden fashion, ice cream was served.

House votes on GOP resolution to rebuke Harris over Biden admin. border policy

House Republicans are moving quickly to emphasize Vice President Kamala Harris's role in the Biden administration's handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, passing a resolution Thursday that condemns her performance in the job.

The resolution, which is purely symbolic, echoes an attack line that Republican Donald Trump has taken against Harris since she rose to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee. All House Republicans and six Democrats voted for the resolution.

President Joe Biden tasked Harris early in his administration with addressing the root causes of migration. Border crossings eventually became a major political liability for Biden when they reached historic levels. Since June, when Biden announced significant restrictions on asylum applications at the border, arrests for illegal crossings have fallen.

It remains to be seen whether the border will become a political liability for Harris as it was for Biden. But Republicans say Harris did not do enough to clamp down on illegal immigration in a role they characterized as "border czar" — a role that she had been assigned in the administration.

"The result of her inaction has been record high illegal crossings, overwhelmed communities, and an evisceration of the rule of law," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Trump, if elected president, has pledged deport millions of people and has made anti-immigration rhetoric a central focus of his campaign.

The six Democrats who voted for the resolution — Reps. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Mary Peltola of Alaska and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state — were mostly members from battleground districts and had previously been critical of Biden. 

Golden said in a statement that he would "continue to be critical of this administration" when it comes to the border.

As vice president, Harris was tasked with overseeing diplomatic efforts to deal with issues spurring migration in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, as well as pressing them to strengthen enforcement on their own borders. The Biden administration wanted to develop and put in place a long-term strategy that gets at the root causes of migration from those countries.

Most House Democrats tried to defend how Harris has handled the job.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the resolution was "fake and fraudulent" and that Harris was never appointed "border czar," as the measure stated.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, who is the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Harris "was narrowly tasked with developing agreements that could help bring government and private sector investments to those countries that are sending migrants to the United States."

Democrats also repeatedly pointed out that Republicans rejected a border and immigration deal that the White House negotiated with Senate GOP leadership earlier this year.

Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, who won a special election this year on a campaign that focused on border security, said Harris has some potential strengths on the issue. He said Harris' relationship with Mexico's president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Harris' past as a prosecutor could prove to be assets when it comes to the border.

"I think now she has to emphasize the fact that she recognizes that the southern border is a problem," Suozzi said.