Published February 27, 2024
President Joe Biden will meet with the top Democrats and Republicans in Congress on Tuesday in a bid to head off a partial government shutdown beginning in just four days and to urge lawmakers to pass an aid package for Ukraine and Israel.
The White House meeting comes almost two months since Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed on a $1.59 trillion discretionary spending level for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
Despite that deal, Congress has failed to perform its basic duty of funding the government, largely due to in-fighting by Republicans who control the House by a thin majority.
“A basic, basic priority or duty of Congress is to keep the government open,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday. “So that’s what the president wants to see. He’ll have those conversations.”
The spending bill is being held up by demands from ultra-conservative Republicans in the House who want to see spending cuts and policy positions injected into how dollars are spent. A group of hard-right Republicans has brought the government to the brink of a shutdown or a partial shutdown three times in the past six months.
Schumer and Johnson traded accusations in recent days over who was to blame for the stalemate. Schumer told reporters Monday that “Democrats are doing everything we can to avoid a shutdown.”
The first batch of government funding, which includes money for agencies that oversee agriculture and transportation, will run out on Friday at midnight, while funding for some agencies including the Pentagon and the State Department will expire on March 8.
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SOURCE: www.newsmax.com
RELATED: Biden to meet with congressional leaders as government shutdown looms
U.S. House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud U.S. President Joe Biden during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Published February 27, 2024
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SOURCE: www.reuters.com
RELATED: Biden, Congressional Leaders to Discuss Ukraine Aid and Averting Government Shutdown
Published February 27, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting congressional leaders Tuesday for talks at the White House amid a push to secure billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine and avoid a looming U.S. government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were set to take part in the discussion.
The Democrat-led Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion security bill earlier this month that includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, nearly $5 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and other assistance.
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SOURCE: www.voanews.com
