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The top Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in a joint news conference, "We are brimming with excitement, enthusiasm, unity."
Harris raised a one-day record $81 million on ActBlue, an American political action committee and fundraising platform, in the 24 hours after Biden's announcement that he would not accept his party's presidential nomination.
She has now received endorsements from all prominent potential challengers and amassed enough delegate support to secure the party's official nomination, assuming none of her backers change their minds before next month's Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"I have seen a surge of enthusiasm from every corner of our party, uniting behind Vice President Harris," Schumer said Tuesday. "Enthusiasm felt in every corner of the country, contagious among Democrats, the volunteers, the small contributions, they're just pouring in in ways even beyond our expectations."
But as lawmakers returned to Washington for the first time since Biden's announcement upended the presidential campaign, Republicans criticized the change.
"We have to be clear about exactly what happened here in the last 24 hours or so, just over, or 48 hours ago. Just over 100 days before an election, Democrat party bosses forced Joe Biden off the ballot," Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told reporters Tuesday.
"They invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who went through the 'small d' democratic process and chose their nominee for president. The self-proclaimed party of democracy can't claim to be that anymore."
Harris is also facing some criticism for a scheduling conflict that will prevent her from presiding over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's joint address to Congress on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, some of the leaders who could learn the most from the experience of the battle-tested, duly elected leader of a foreign democracy apparently will not be among us," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday.
"The vice president who traditionally presides over joint sessions of Congress apparently can't spare the time to demonstrate even symbolic support for the only democracy in the Middle East."
Harris is scheduled to meet one-on-one with Netanyahu before his address.
Johnson joined McConnell in criticism of Harris.
"It is outrageous to me and inexcusable that Kamala Harris is boycotting this joint session," Johnson said. "This is an historic moment. It's an important moment for the country for all the reasons we've said, the gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. And yet, Kamala Harris will abandon her seat."
House Democratic Conference Chair Pete Aguilar did not directly answer when asked if he believed Harris should attend the speech.
"I think members are going to make their own decisions. I personally will be there," he said. "The vice chair will be there. I feel when world leaders come to the people's chamber, it's important that we hear their perspective. Israel is our closest ally."