Biden calls lawmakers to the White House as the shutdown deadline approaches
President Biden will try to break the impasse on Capitol Hill over keeping the government running and providing aid to Ukraine and Israel as he convenes Congress’ top four leaders at the White House on Tuesday.
Lawmakers are running out of time to strike a deal to avoid another partial government shutdown. The first round of funding expires at midnight on Friday, while funding for some agencies, including the Defense Department, expires on March 8.
“A fundamental priority or duty of Congress is to keep the government open,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “So that’s what the president wants to see. He will have those conversations.”
Separately, Mr Biden will ask leaders to approve crucial emergency aid for Ukraine. The government has pushed for additional funding for months, arguing that Ukraine is running low on artillery, air defense weapons and other munitions. The bill also includes billions in security aid for Israel, which is trying to root out Hamas after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
However, keeping the federal government open appears to be the first priority.
The spending bill is being held up by demands from far-right lawmakers in the House of Representatives, including measures to restrict access to abortion, which many members will not support. Ultraconservatives have brought the government to the brink of a shutdown or partial shutdown three times in the past six months as they sought to secure more cuts and conservative policy conditions enshrined in how federal money is spent.
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader; Speaker Mike Johnson; Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and Majority Leader; and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, will attend the meeting at the White House. Vice President Kamala Harris will also attend.
The meeting comes after Mr. Schumer announced Sunday that leaders had failed to reach an agreement this weekend because “House Republicans need more time to reach a solution.” Mr. Johnson accused Senate Democrats of “trying at this late stage to spend money on priorities that are further to the left than what their chamber agreed on.”
The White House has increased pressure on Mr. Johnson in recent weeks as Ukraine marked the second anniversary of the Russian invasion this weekend. Mr. Biden continues to emphasize that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia poses a global threat.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said on Sunday he had spoken with Johnson. The speaker had indicated he would like to approve funding for Ukraine, Mr. Sullivan said, but was “trying to find a way to do it.”
“Well, this is one of those cases where one person can change the course of history,” Mr. Sullivan said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the foreign aid package would pass overwhelmingly with bipartisan support if it were approved. a voice.
“Right now it comes down to his willingness to actually take responsibility at this critical time,” Mr. Sullivan said. “And history is watching.”