Biden to headline House Dem retreat

Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to headline the House Democratic Caucus’s retreat next week, a caucus source confirmed to The Hill.

The former vice president and rumored 2020 presidential candidate will deliver the keynote address at the three-day gathering in Cambridge, Md. A spokesperson for Biden confirmed his appearance for the event.

Politico first reported that Biden would speak at the retreat. According to Politico, Biden is expected to speak next Wednesday. While the focus of  Biden’s remarks has not yet been announced, he is expected to talk about how Democrats can appeal to middle-class voters ahead of the midterm elections in November.

{mosads}

Democrats are hoping to seize on President Trump’s low approval ratings to take back the majority in the House. Democrats must pick up at least 24 seats in the midterm elections to achieve that goal.

Speculation, meanwhile, has swirled that Biden could mount a bid for his party’s 2020 presidential nomination, and early polls indicate that he leads the pack of potential Democratic candidates. 

A spokesman for Biden did not immediately return The Hill’s request for comment.

Lawmakers face a Feb. 8 deadline for passing a spending bill to keep the government running, but Democrats are expected to attend the retreat if Congress approves a funding measure early next week. 

– Rafael Bernal contributed to this report, which was updated at 2:07 p.m.