Becerra defends Biden during Pittsburgh visit; Summer Lee dodges question on president’s fitness

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Pittsburgh Friday to talk up the government’s record in lowering health care costs, and he defended President Joe Biden’s fitness, which has come under scrutiny following a poor debate performance last month.

Beccerra visited the Squirrel Hill Health Center in the morning, meeting with local healthcare professionals to discuss how legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act is helping make vaccines and prescription drugs cheaper and provide easier access for patients.

He said he has worked closely with Biden and said the president’s performance in the White House is unmatched. He said Biden’s record of accomplishments — including capping the price of insulin for Medicare recipients and undertaking other efforts to lower drug costs — is proof that Biden is mentally fit to be president.

“I got elected to Congress in 1992 and since then I have worked directly with presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, and I will tell you, I’ve never seen a president accomplish so much in one term,” said Beccerra, a former congressman from California.

Biden’s disastrous debate performance in late June has led to two weeks of media speculation that he could step down as the Democratic candidate and triggered increasing calls within the party for Biden to withdraw from the race.

As of Friday afternoon, at least 20 Democrats on Capitol Hill have called on Biden to step aside.

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, attended the discussion with Becerra. Last week, Lee said on a SiriusXM Progress radio show that if Biden were to step aside, Vice President Kamala Harris is the “obvious choice” to replace him.

But she has not publicly commented on what she thinks Biden should do.

On Friday, Lee dodged a question about Biden’s fitness and whether he should stay in the race or drop out.

As she was being hustled out of the event by staff, Lee said she wouldn’t answer a political question during an event she attended in her official capacity as a congresswoman.