Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called President Biden “highly competent” amid growing calls for him to step down following his poor performance in the first presidential debate with former President Trump.
Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, during a House committee hearing, asked Yellen whether she “noticed any mental or cognitive decline” during her meetings with Biden.
“The President has been very effective in the meetings I have attended, including many international meetings that lasted many hours, such as my meeting with President Xi Jinping. [Jinping of China]Yellen made the remarks Tuesday at the House Financial Services Committee’s annual hearing on the international monetary system.
The Treasury Secretary did not respond to Lawler’s question about when he last met with the president.
“I’m not going to comment on my meeting with the president. That was private,” Yellen said.
Yellen also responded simply, “No,” when Lawler asked whether there had been any discussion within the Biden Cabinet about invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which allows a majority of the cabinet to transfer power from the president to the vice president if they feel the president is unable to perform his duties.
This line of questioning prompted a gentle rebuke from Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri), chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions.
“I would like to remind the committee that it would be inappropriate for this committee to go into the president or Mr. Trump’s personal business influence,” Luetkemeyer said.
Biden’s stuttering and struggling to organize his responses during the debate caused anxiety among Democratic lawmakers, allies and donors.
Democratic leadership has supported the president, but several House Democrats have called on him to step aside as Trump has widened his lead in the days since the debate.
The White House and his campaign have pushed back against calls for Biden to back out, arguing that his record as president over the past three and a half years should negate any concerns that might arise from a 90-minute debate.
Trump currently has a 58% chance of winning the presidential election, according to projections from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ. The incumbent president is also struggling to overcome negative perceptions of his economic policies and win over voters unhappy with his handling of the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s war with Hamas.
