Biden fondly recalls less polarized era while hosting picnic

Jul 12, 2022, 4:27 PM | Updated: Jul 13, 2022, 7:38 am
President Joe Biden poses for a photo with guests at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of ...

President Joe Biden poses for a photo with guests at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Biden on Tuesday hosted hundreds of lawmakers, their families and aides for the first congressional picnic at the White House in three years, speaking fondly of a bygone era in which Democrats and Republicans could get along, despite differing political views.

“I wish we were able to do more of this so that you all got to know one another well,” Biden said, casually dressed without a jacket or tie. The president reminisced of an increasingly quaint time on Capitol Hill, when lawmakers would spend considerably more time socializing and becoming acquainted with one another’s families.

Those interactions, Biden said, helped lawmakers get along better. The president, who spent 36 years in the Senate, recalled advice that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., gave him when he arrived in Washington as a young senator: spend time in the Senate Dining Room, which is for senators only, and get to know new colleagues.

“It’s hard to dislike a colleague when you know he or she has a wife or husband that has cancer,” Biden said. “It’s hard to look at someone who you strongly disagree with and make it personal when you know they have a son or daughter that has a problem.”

Though the White House picnic was cut short by an impending thunderstorm, Biden had plenty of time to mingle with lawmakers and their families, taking selfies and greeting them shortly before he was to leave for the Middle East.

The hundreds of guests on the South Lawn, which included White House aides, noshed on fried chicken, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, smoked barbecue brisket, vegetable sandwiches and Dove ice cream bars with wrappers adorned with the presidential seal.

But Biden could not escape questions about his poor political standing, highlighted this week by a New York Times/Siena College poll that found just 26 percent of Democratic voters believe he should be renominated by the party in 2024.

“They want me to run,” Biden said of Democrats when asked about the poll results during the picnic. “That poll showed that 92 percent of Democrats, if I ran, would vote for me.” The 92 percent figure in the poll referred to the percentage of Democrats who said they would support Biden if former President Donald Trump were the Republican nominee.

The White House said more than 250 lawmakers, including dozens of House and Senate Republicans, attended the picnic along with a smattering of Cabinet officials and scores of congressional aides. Among the GOP lawmakers were Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Michael Turner of Ohio, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              President Joe Biden greets people after speaking at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
            
              President Joe Biden takes photos with people after speaking at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
            
              President Joe Biden poses for a photo with Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., and his grandson during the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
            
              President Joe Biden poses for a photo with guests at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
            President Joe Biden speaks with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, as he departs the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) President Joe Biden greets people during the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) President Joe Biden speaks at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. First lady Jill Biden, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris, right, look on. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) President Joe Biden speaks at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Washington. First lady Jill Biden, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris, right, look on. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
2 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
5 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
5 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
11 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
19 days ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona Photo)...
Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona

5 common causes for chronic neck pain

Neck pain can debilitate one’s daily routine, yet 80% of people experience it in their lives and 20%-50% deal with it annually.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
Biden fondly recalls less polarized era while hosting picnic