Pretty much the only promising development I've seen on the subject....
The House speaker, who has previously met with Biden, is seeking a one-on-one meeting ahead of any movement on legislation that would provide aid for the U.S. allies.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson wants an in-person, one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden before proceeding with a supplemental aid package with funding for Ukraine and Israel, a source close to Johnson said.
Johnson, R-La., and his staff have requested the meetings with Biden through senior White House officials several times over the past two months after Johnson's trip last month to the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, the source said.
The most recent request for a meeting came just over a week ago, several days before the Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion national security package and before House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Johnson's requests for a meeting were not necessarily about the Senate’s version of the supplemental aid but rather about a general path forward on a legislative package.
The Senate bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed with support from 70 senators.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday that Biden "refuses" to meet with Johnson.
“Ultimately, the two of them could come to an agreement that can become law,” Scalise said. “And yet the president refuses to even meet. So the president can’t say he’s serious about Ukraine or the border when he refuses to meet with the speaker so they can come to an agreement on this issue.”
A White House official pointed to what the administration characterized as Johnson’s inconsistencies on the border, saying he needed to wrap the negotiations he has having with himself and stop delaying national security needs in the name of politics.
“That body language says: ‘I know I’m in a tough spot. Please bail me out,’” said a Democratic source involved with the supplemental aid package.
Biden met with Johnson alongside other congressional leaders less than a month ago to discuss a bipartisan immigration deal that would have unlocked aid to Ukraine. Johnson at the time called it a “productive” meeting.
www.nbcnews.com
The House speaker, who has previously met with Biden, is seeking a one-on-one meeting ahead of any movement on legislation that would provide aid for the U.S. allies.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson wants an in-person, one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden before proceeding with a supplemental aid package with funding for Ukraine and Israel, a source close to Johnson said.
Johnson, R-La., and his staff have requested the meetings with Biden through senior White House officials several times over the past two months after Johnson's trip last month to the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, the source said.
The most recent request for a meeting came just over a week ago, several days before the Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion national security package and before House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Johnson's requests for a meeting were not necessarily about the Senate’s version of the supplemental aid but rather about a general path forward on a legislative package.
The Senate bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed with support from 70 senators.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday that Biden "refuses" to meet with Johnson.
“Ultimately, the two of them could come to an agreement that can become law,” Scalise said. “And yet the president refuses to even meet. So the president can’t say he’s serious about Ukraine or the border when he refuses to meet with the speaker so they can come to an agreement on this issue.”
A White House official pointed to what the administration characterized as Johnson’s inconsistencies on the border, saying he needed to wrap the negotiations he has having with himself and stop delaying national security needs in the name of politics.
“That body language says: ‘I know I’m in a tough spot. Please bail me out,’” said a Democratic source involved with the supplemental aid package.
Biden met with Johnson alongside other congressional leaders less than a month ago to discuss a bipartisan immigration deal that would have unlocked aid to Ukraine. Johnson at the time called it a “productive” meeting.
Speaker Mike Johnson wants Biden meeting before any action on Ukraine and Israel aid package
The House speaker, who has previously met with Biden, is seeking a one-on-one meeting ahead of any movement on legislation that would provide aid for the U.S. allies.
www.nbcnews.com
