Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) makes a statement to the press as he hosts Israeli Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana at the U.S. Capitol, on Feb. 6, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Published February 29, 2024
‘I reminded the president, and all involved, that the number one issue in America is that open border,’ Mr. Johnson said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has described reports that he was confronted by congressional leaders during an “intense” meeting over government funding and aid to Ukraine at the White House on Feb. 27 as “pretty accurate.”
Speaking to Fox News on Feb. 28, Mr. Johnson was asked by anchor Sean Hannity if there was any truth to the reports. The Republican lawmaker explained that he was definitely at odds with congressional leaders over the crisis at the southern border, among other issues, during the meeting.
“Well, their reports are pretty accurate. They said that I was on an island by myself, and it was me versus everyone else in the room,” Mr. Johnson said.
“What the liberal media doesn’t understand Sean, is that if you’re here in Washington and you’re described as a leader that’s on an island by themselves, it probably means you’re standing with the American people,” he continued.
“And that’s what I did yesterday, I reminded the president, and all involved, that the number one issue in America is that open border. The catastrophe that we have, that President Biden himself designed, that he caused and created and I told him, just as I have many times before, he must address it with executive authority. We can’t wait any longer,” Mr. Johnson added.
Mr. Johnson was joined by congressional leaders including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) during the Feb. 27 meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House, ahead of a looming government shut down.
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SOURCE: www.theepochtimes.com
RELATED: Johnson reacts to being ganged up on at ‘intense’ White House meeting
Published February 29, 2024
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday quipped the reports Congressional leaders ganged up on him during this week’s meeting at the White House are “pretty accurate.”
Johnson, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) met at the White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris on Tuesday for talks on funding for Ukraine and efforts to avert a government shutdown.
Meeting participants described the talks as “intense” and “productive,” and said they felt somewhat reassured Johnson heard their pleas to avoid a government shutdown on Friday.
When asked by Fox News anchor Sean Hannity about the reports of leaders ganging up on him, Johnson said, “Well their reports are pretty accurate. They said that I was on an island by myself, and it was me versus everyone else in the room.”
“What the liberal media doesn’t understand Sean, is that if you’re here in Washington and you’re described as a leader that’s on an island by themselves, it probably means you’re standing with the American people,” he continued. “And that’s what I did yesterday, I reminded the president, and all involved that the number one issue in America is that open border. The catastrophe that we have that President Biden himself designed that he caused and created and I told him, just as I have many times before, he must address it with executive authority. We can’t wait any longer.”
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SOURCE: www.thehill.com
RELATED: Leaders gang up on Speaker Johnson at ‘intense’ White House meeting
Published February 29, 2024
Three of Congress’s top four leaders had a loud and unified message for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) when they met with him at the White House on Tuesday: Ignore the pressure from conservative critics and avoid a government shutdown on Friday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emerged from the meeting, which participants described as “intense” and “passionate,” feeling somewhat reassured that Johnson heard their pleas.
“It was a productive and intense meeting,” Schumer said outside the White House. “We made it so clear that we can’t have the shutdown because it hurts so many people in so many different ways.”
Schumer said “the Speaker did not reject” the warning and “said he wants to avoid a government shutdown.”
Jeffries said after the meeting that the atmosphere was “intense” as leaders in the room, which included President Biden and Vice President Harris, emphasized “the need to avoid a government shutdown and to fund the government so we can address the needs of the American public.”
He said negotiators are making “real progress” on the appropriations bills for federal departments and agencies that will see their funding lapse after March 1 without congressional action. Those bills include funding for military construction and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we can do what is necessary in the next day or so to close down these bills and avoid a government shutdown,” he said.
But he also warned that Congress may have to pass another stopgap spending measure to give negotiators more time to reach a deal to fund the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and other agencies that will see their funding lapse after a second March 8 deadline.
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SOURCE: www.borderreport.com
