NEA teachers union, the largest U.S. labor group, endorses Biden

Joe Biden continued to consolidate support in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Saturday evening, when he won the endorsement of the National Education Assn., the country’s largest labor union.

“Biden is the tireless advocate for public education and is the partner that students and educators need now in the White House. He understands that as a nation we have a moral responsibility to provide a great neighborhood public school for every student in every ZIP Code,” said Lily Eskelsen García, the union’s president.

With 3 million members, the union’s announcement may help accelerate Biden’s effort to cement his standing as the Democratic front-runner. The former vice president has a commanding lead over Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, in the primary after key wins in Michigan and other states on Tuesday.

The following day, Sanders acknowledged that his path to the nomination had become much more difficult, although he planned to continue campaigning and will debate Biden on Sunday. The debate will be held in a Washington, D.C., television studio instead of in front of a live studio audience in Phoenix because of the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden appears eager to focus his efforts on President Trump. He blasted Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday in remarks that detailed his own public health plans while drawing a contrast with the administration.

“This virus laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration,” he said. “Public fears are being compounded by pervasive lack of trust in this president fueled by adversarial relationships with the truth.”