President Biden is scheduled to welcome four congressional leaders to the White House on Tuesday to discuss funding for Ukraine and efforts to avert a government shutdown.
The White House said Biden would emphasize “the urgency of passing bipartisan national security supplemental legislation and keeping government open.” In attendance were House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Includes party leader (New York).
Biden has been pleading with Congress for weeks to pass additional funding to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, warning that failure to do so would be a historic failure that threatens global and domestic security. did.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed a national security funding bill earlier this month that includes money for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific allies, but Johnson again rejected the bill for a vote in the House because it lacks desirable border provisions. suggested that it would not be done. Mr Johnson had previously rejected proposals that included border security measures.
At the same time, Congress is facing a deadline to pass a funding bill to avert a shutdown.
Congress returns to Washington this week, with lawmakers trying to resolve their differences as they face impending funding deadlines (March 1 for some agencies, March 8 for others). , there is little time to bring legislation to the floor to keep the government functioning.
Biden last welcomed Congressional leaders to the White House in January, when he similarly urged them to provide funding to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Johnson said earlier this month that he had been seeking a meeting with Biden for several weeks, an idea the White House initially rejected but later warmed to the idea.
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