US House speaker seeks meeting with Biden about funding for Ukraine
Photo: REUTERS
Before continuing work on the funding project for Ukraine and Israel, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson wants a personal meeting with President Joe Biden.
NBC reports, citing a source close to Johnson, that Johnson and his staff have requested a meeting with Biden through White House officials several times over the past two months.
The latest request for a meeting came in over a week ago, a few days before the Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion national security package, and House Republicans announced the impeachment of Interior Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The channel adds that Johnson's request for a meeting did not necessarily concern the Senate version of additional aid but rather the overall legislative package's advancement.
A White House representative pointed out the Speaker's inconsistency and advised Johnson to conclude the "negotiations he is conducting with himself" and also to stop postponing national security needs in the name of politics.
"This body language says, 'I know I'm in a difficult situation. Please help me,'" said a source from the Democratic Party.
Biden met with Johnson and other Congressional leaders less than a month ago to discuss a bipartisan immigration deal that would unlock aid to Ukraine. Johnson then called this meeting "productive."
Here's what we know about the bill to aid Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan
The US Senate voted on February 9 to continue the discussion on allocating funding for Ukraine, Israel, and allies in the Indo-Pacific region over the weekend. 64 senators voted in favor, with 19 against.
On February 11, the upper chamber of the United States Congress (the Senate) voted to end debates and amendments to bill HR 815, which allocates $95 billion to support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The United States senators adopted a motion to end debates on the bill.
Moreover, on February 13, US Senators adopted a motion to cease debate on a bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, criticized the US Senate's bill to aid Ukraine and Israel for lacking measures that could halt the record flow of migrants across the US-Mexico border.
Later on the same day, the Senate passed a bill providing $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Specifically, over $60 billion is allocated for Ukraine.
