WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden is set to meet the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his request for national security funding for Ukraine, Israel and the U.S. border, which has been stalled for weeks on Capitol Hill.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the lawmakers — including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., — were invited “to discuss the critical importance of his national security supplemental requests.”
The meeting comes as Congress aims to pass a short-term funding bill before Friday night to prevent a government shutdown.
The White House asserts that U.S. aid for the Ukraine war effort has run out. Republicans demand border changes in exchange for additional foreign assistance.
Wednesday’s meeting will revolve around Biden’s proposed plan for more than $110 billion in aid, which would allocate $60 billion to Ukraine. The president emphasizes that assistance is needed to prevent Russia’s advantage in the war. The plan also includes billions for Israel, Taiwan, and border measures.
Schumer posted about Tuesday’s negotiations, writing, “At stake is the security of our country, the security of our friends abroad, and the future of democracy.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmert echoed similar comments from Republicans, writing in a post on X, “There IS a crisis at the border, and it’s of Joe Biden’s making. @HouseGOP passed the strongest border security legislation in decades nearly a year ago. He has ignored it.”
House Republicans seek increased border security, advocating for the implementation of the border bill known as H.R. 2. This plan aims to toughen asylum standards, resume border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, and mandate employer verification of workers’ documentation.
While it passed the House, the Senate is unlikely to pass it as written. Democrats have criticized the Republicans’ plan as inhumane.
