Vice President Kamala Harris has opted out of presiding over a joint address to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled for Wednesday. This decision was made due to a prior commitment in Indiana, as confirmed by an aide.
Harris, who recently emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president following President Biden's campaign suspension, will not be present at the address and therefore unable to preside over it.
In the absence of Harris, the responsibility would typically fall to Senate President pro tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash. However, Murray has reportedly declined the task and will be boycotting the address instead.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Murray's office regarding her decision were unsuccessful.
When questioned about whether Harris would have presided over Netanyahu's address if she were in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, an aide to the vice president declined to entertain hypothetical inquiries.
