Dem Rep. Garamendi: Biden Left Race in Part Due to Coming ‘Health Issues,’ Decided Its Best to Use Energy to Finish Term

SHAFER To continue this ░░░░░░░░ I want to bring ░░░░░░░░ California s Democratic Congressman ░░░░░░░░ Garamendi Congressman thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us ░░░░░░░░ are somebody who has ░░░░░░░░ President Joe Biden for ░░░░░░░░ years Bring us into ░░░░░░░░ of his conversations and ░░░░░░░░ reasoning What was the ░░░░░░░░ point that got us ░░░░░░░░ this this news today ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ two things First of ░░░░░░░░ his health He understands ░░░░░░░░ health and certainly his ░░░░░░░░ Jill understands the situation ░░░░░░░░ I think he made ░░░░░░░░ very careful evaluation of ░░░░░░░░ own personal health this ░░░░░░░░ the work that is ░░░░░░░░ in the campaign and ░░░░░░░░ work that is ahead ░░░░░░░░ finish the four year ░░░░░░░░ that he s in ░░░░░░░░ think that s one ░░░░░░░░ of it The other ░░░░░░░░ of it is that ░░░░░░░░ built a terrific team ░░░░░░░░ second backup quarterback Kamala ░░░░░░░░ is an extraordinary woman ░░░░░░░░ he knew that she ░░░░░░░░ be able to carry ░░░░░░░░ his legacy of legislation ░░░░░░░░ international leadership So I ░░░░░░░░ those were the two ░░░░░░░░ that were there In ░░░░░░░░ so he s clearly ░░░░░░░░ his legacy as one ░░░░░░░░ the most consequential presidents ░░░░░░░░ modern time probably going ░░░░░░░░ the way back either ░░░░░░░░ with the Civil Rights ░░░░░░░░ and Roosevelt during that ░░░░░░░░ of the of his ░░░░░░░░ So all of that ░░░░░░░░ together A remarkable individual ░░░░░░░░ I ve known him ░░░░░░░░ the 1980s An extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ We would talk on ░░░░░░░░ off over the years ░░░░░░░░ he was running for ░░░░░░░░ president in the Biden ░░░░░░░░ me the Obama campaign ░░░░░░░░ were very very close ░░░░░░░░ California and other parts ░░░░░░░░ the nation and Jill ░░░░░░░░ Patty are very very ░░░░░░░░ friends So we are ░░░░░░░░ but we re also ░░░░░░░░ and we re very ░░░░░░░░ excited about his endorsement ░░░░░░░░ Kamala Harris who I ░░░░░░░░ had the privilege and ░░░░░░░░ of working with since ░░░░░░░░ when she was the ░░░░░░░░ D A in San ░░░░░░░░ and I was the ░░░░░░░░ statewide insurance commissioner We ░░░░░░░░ after insurance fraud in ░░░░░░░░ city of San Francisco ░░░░░░░░ I ve had the ░░░░░░░░ working with her for ░░░░░░░░ many many years exceptional ░░░░░░░░ And wouldn t it ░░░░░░░░ lovely to have a ░░░░░░░░ as president of the ░░░░░░░░ States SHAFER Does Kamala ░░░░░░░░ have your endorsement GARAMENDI ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely As I said ░░░░░░░░ worked with her as ░░░░░░░░ A in San Francisco ░░░░░░░░ after insurance fraud And ░░░░░░░░ she was the attorney ░░░░░░░░ in California going after ░░░░░░░░ organized crime insurance and ░░░░░░░░ kinds of organized crime ░░░░░░░░ and the rest and ░░░░░░░░ her years in the ░░░░░░░░ and finally her three ░░░░░░░░ as vice president doing ░░░░░░░░ job internationally She has ░░░░░░░░ understanding of the international ░░░░░░░░ not only working with ░░░░░░░░ on that but out ░░░░░░░░ on her own around ░░░░░░░░ world and of course ░░░░░░░░ the economic issues And ░░░░░░░░ ll bring to this ░░░░░░░░ should she be successful ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ everything I can to ░░░░░░░░ that she is our ░░░░░░░░ that she will bring ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic Party unity ░░░░░░░░ will be able to ░░░░░░░░ together all the elements ░░░░░░░░ this party She has ░░░░░░░░ great working relationship with ░░░░░░░░ She has a great ░░░░░░░░ relationship with minority organizations ░░░░░░░░ well as the key ░░░░░░░░ sources for the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ So I m really ░░░░░░░░ about her candidacy and ░░░░░░░░ m really sad and ░░░░░░░░ in many many ways ░░░░░░░░ President Biden removing himself ░░░░░░░░ the candidacy for the ░░░░░░░░ four years SHAFER Congressman ░░░░░░░░ I can I understand ░░░░░░░░ ve also you know ░░░░░░░░ a recent cancer battle ░░░░░░░░ yourself understand sort of ░░░░░░░░ pressures of dealing with ░░░░░░░░ health issue balancing that ░░░░░░░░ the pressures of the ░░░░░░░░ itself Of course there ░░░░░░░░ been so many conversations ░░░░░░░░ surrounding President Biden s ░░░░░░░░ fitness his health in ░░░░░░░░ of this From a ░░░░░░░░ level and from the ░░░░░░░░ of somebody who has ░░░░░░░░ the president for four ░░░░░░░░ how much of those ░░░░░░░░ do you think really ░░░░░░░░ a role in his ░░░░░░░░ today or was it ░░░░░░░░ so the conversations when ░░░░░░░░ started talking about polling ░░░░░░░░ and fundraising GARAMENDI No ░░░░░░░░ think it s a ░░░░░░░░ personal decision The Biden ░░░░░░░░ ve known for these ░░░░░░░░ years is a very ░░░░░░░░ individual He said it ░░░░░░░░ he gets knocked down ░░░░░░░░ gets back up That ░░░░░░░░ the man I ve ░░░░░░░░ for these many decades ░░░░░░░░ he was I believe ░░░░░░░░ prepared that is his ░░░░░░░░ to carry on But ░░░░░░░░ think he also did ░░░░░░░░ very careful analysis with ░░░░░░░░ and perhaps the rest ░░░░░░░░ his family about his ░░░░░░░░ situation Covid knocks everybody ░░░░░░░░ on their butt and ░░░░░░░░ m sure that happened ░░░░░░░░ President Biden That took ░░░░░░░░ big toll And I ░░░░░░░░ it was also a ░░░░░░░░ up call that you ░░░░░░░░ there are other health ░░░░░░░░ that are ahead of ░░░░░░░░ So I think he ░░░░░░░░ all of that into ░░░░░░░░ he and Jill and ░░░░░░░░ to the decision that ░░░░░░░░ s best it s ░░░░░░░░ for him it s ░░░░░░░░ for the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ best for the nation ░░░░░░░░ he use his energy ░░░░░░░░ experience and knowledge both ░░░░░░░░ and internationally to finish ░░░░░░░░ the next five six ░░░░░░░░ of his presidency in ░░░░░░░░ very strong way There ░░░░░░░░ serious international issues out ░░░░░░░░ and no one no ░░░░░░░░ in politics today knows ░░░░░░░░ international agenda better than ░░░░░░░░ having rebuilt the NATO ░░░░░░░░ and our alliances in ░░░░░░░░ Pacific He also understands ░░░░░░░░ his domestic legacy is ░░░░░░░░ to be seriously attacked ░░░░░░░░ attempt by the Republicans ░░░░░░░░ destroy that legacy they ░░░░░░░░ it so very clearly ░░░░░░░░ the Republican speech that ░░░░░░░░ put forth that Trump ░░░░░░░░ to terminate the green ░░░░░░░░ efforts that are in ░░░░░░░░ Inflation Reduction Act and ░░░░░░░░ around much of what ░░░░░░░░ accomplished The drill baby ░░░░░░░░ mantra that you heard ░░░░░░░░ the Republican convention that ░░░░░░░░ where the Republicans are ░░░░░░░░ Biden is going to ░░░░░░░░ the next six months ░░░░░░░░ make damn sure that ░░░░░░░░ t happen and that ░░░░░░░░ into the solid foundation ░░░░░░░░ the infrastructure act is ░░░░░░░░ green technology the green ░░░░░░░░ of renewable energy that ░░░░░░░░ has put in place ░░░░░░░░ more than 400 billion ░░░░░░░░ investment the largest investment ░░░░░░░░ any nation China including ░░░░░░░░ nation in going to ░░░░░░░░ renewable energy system and ░░░░░░░░ away from coal and ░░░░░░░░ So he wants to ░░░░░░░░ that That also gives ░░░░░░░░ enormous platform to Kamala ░░░░░░░░ run on that platform ░░░░░░░░ she helped put in ░░░░░░░░ SHAFER Congressman from California ░░░░░░░░ Garamendi thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for joining us as ░░░░░░░░ you know follow this ░░░░░░░░ news President Biden dropping ░░░░░░░░ of the race for ░░░░░░░░ White House Congressman I ░░░░░░░░ very grateful to you ░░░░░░░░ hear your perspective in ░░░░░░░░ of this someone who ░░░░░░░░ known the president for ░░░░░░░░ decades and now also ░░░░░░░░ Kamala Harris worked with ░░░░░░░░ since the 1990s You ░░░░░░░░ endorsing her as well ░░░░░░░░ know to be the ░░░░░░░░ in November Congressman thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us.”