Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a strong endorsement of President Biden on Monday.
The New York congresswoman told reporters outside the Capitol that the president has "made clear" he won't step down despite concerns about his age.
"I have spoken to the president over the weekend. I have spoken with him extensively. He made clear then, and he has made clear since, that he is in this race," Ocasio-Cortez said.
She added, "The matter is closed. He had reiterated that this morning. He has reiterated that to the public. Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is in this race and I support him."
The 81-year-old leader's poor debate performance two weeks ago has raised concerns among Democrats about his ability to beat former President Trump in November.
Democratic Reps. Mike Quigley, Seth Moulton, Lloyd Doggett, Angie Craig, and Raul Grijalva have publicly urged Biden to step aside.
Ocasio-Cortez stressed the importance of defeating Trump, citing his recent convictions in a New York court.
"Now what I think is critically important is that we focus on what it takes to win in November. Because he is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions – that has committed 34 felony crimes. And not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to not be the nominee."
When asked what she says to lawmakers wanting more from the president, Ocasio-Cortez replied, "That is all up to their own individual determination, but I'm here to make sure we win in November and that is my focus," before leaving.
Democratic lawmakers were mostly evasive on Capitol Hill Monday night when Congress returned for its first full week since the debate.
Those who spoke to the media mostly defended Biden and directed their criticism toward Trump.