By Colleen Lengthy and Darlene Superville | Related Press
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden implored the highest 4 leaders of Congress Tuesday to behave rapidly to keep away from a looming authorities shutdown early subsequent month and to cross emergency support for Ukraine and Israel, as a legislative logjam within the GOP-led Home confirmed no indicators of abating.
Biden hosted Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., within the Oval Workplace together with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The necessity is pressing,” Biden mentioned of the Ukraine support. “The implications of inaction each day in Ukraine are dire.”
He famous that Israel additionally wants U.S. funding to replenish its provide of Iron Dome interceptors that it makes use of to guard towards inbound rockets.
Republicans within the Home have so far refused to carry up the $95 billion nationwide safety package deal that bolsters support for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. That measure cleared the Senate on a bipartisan 70-29 vote this month, however Johnson has resisted scheduling it for a vote within the Home.
Central Intelligence Company Director Invoice Burns additionally joined Tuesday’s assembly. Burns has performed key roles coordinating the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in addition to efforts to safe the discharge of hostages held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
Aside from the nationwide safety package deal, authorities funding for agriculture, transportation, army building and a few veterans’ companies expires Friday. And funding for the remainder of the federal government, together with the Pentagon, the Division of Homeland Safety and the State Division, expires per week later, on March 8, the day after Biden is ready to ship his State of the Union handle.
“It’s Congress accountability to fund the federal government,” Biden added. “A authorities shutdown would injury the economic system considerably. We want a bipartisan resolution.”
The Senate’s high two leaders additionally urged that the federal government be stored open. Elements of the federal government might begin to reduce operations as early as Friday except a deal is reached on spending and laws is distributed to Biden for his signature.
Schumer mentioned exterior the West Wing the assembly was some of the intense he’d ever had within the Oval Workplace. The leaders spoke of the necessity to fund Ukraine and keep away from a shutdown, and in addition mentioned border safety.
“We’re making good progress,” Schumer mentioned. “The speaker mentioned unequivocally he needs to keep away from a authorities shutdown.”
He described the president, vp, McConnell, Jeffries and his personal effort to implore the speaker to cross Ukraine funding urgently.
“We made it clear how important this was to america, this was so, so vital, and that we couldn’t afford to attend a month or two months or three months, as a result of we’d in all chance lose the conflict, NATO can be fractured at finest, allies would flip away from america, and the boldest leaders, the boldest autocrats of the world … can be emboldened,” he mentioned.
However Johnson, in short remarks exterior the West Wing following the Democrats, didn’t point out Ukraine funding. He described discussing the border and authorities funding within the assembly in addition to a one-on-one with Biden following the chief dialogue.
“The primary precedence of the nation is our border, and making it safe,” Johnson mentioned. Republicans tanked a bipartisan border deal after Donald Trump inspired them to; the invoice would have denied migrants the flexibility to use for asylum on the border if the variety of each day crossings turned unmanageable for authorities, amongst different main modifications.
“It’s a disaster and it should cease and we’ll get the federal government funded and we’ll hold engaged on that,” he mentioned.
Jeffries mentioned he advised the speaker they’d be keen to work on a border deal.
“All of us agree we’ve a damaged immigration system and there’s a want to deal with the challenges on the border,” he mentioned.
McConnell, in a Senate ground speech forward of the assembly, criticized Western nations that “hesitate” to assist Ukraine, however principally pointed to selections in the course of the Obama administration to not ship army support to Kyiv.
Related Press reporter Stephen Groves and Will Weissert contributed.
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