More House Democrats want Biden out of race as tension rises

Several influential congressional Democrats said privately on Sunday they want Joe Biden to step aside as the party’s White House nominee, as the president enters a pivotal week for his teetering reelection campaign.The latest defections include several Democratic leaders of House committees, a signal that even some party stalwarts in Congress want a new person at the top of the ticket following Biden’s stumbling debate against Donald Trump last month.The defections include Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle of New York; Adam Smith of Washington; and Mark Takano of California, according to people familiar with the discussion. The members expressed their views in a private virtual call on Sunday afternoon organized by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. That amounts to a total of nine House Democrats who have called for Biden to step aside.