President Joe Biden issued a stark warning at the start of a meeting of “Big Four” congressional leaders at the White House about the “consequences” of not providing aid to Ukraine and Israel as they hope to reach an agreement to provide a Avert partial federalization Shutdown in just four days.
The “consequences of daily inaction in Ukraine are dire,” Biden said.
On government funding, he told congressional leaders, “Surely you have everything taken care of.” All joking aside, it is the responsibility of Congress to fund the government.”
“A shutdown would significantly harm the economy and we all agree and need a bipartisan solution. “I want to hear from the group and I want to hear from all of you here.”
Biden plans to discuss a path forward on spending in light of the looming shutdown and make a last-minute appeal to reluctant Speaker Mike Johnson for the $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the Senate.
On Israel, Biden said at the meeting: “We have to deal with the Israeli part. “That includes a significant part that has to do with humanitarian assistance in the Palestinian area, which I think is important.”
Biden began the Big Four meeting by warning of the “catastrophic” consequences of not funding Ukraine
On Israel, Biden said at the meeting: “We have to deal with the Israeli part. “That includes a significant part that has to do with humanitarian assistance in the Palestinian territory, which I think is important.”
Biden, left, pictured with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, right
“We need to increase air defenses for Israel and we need to work to ensure that they are not under threat – they are under threat from what is going on in the Middle East, not just from Hamas, but from Iran .”'
On Seth Myers' comedy show Monday night, Biden said he was being warned that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war could come as soon as next week. This issue is expected to add even more pressure to the already explosive negotiations.
Biden, Johnson, R-La., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., must agree on spending legislation before midnight Friday – when funding for four of 12 government agencies runs out.
The meeting was also attended by Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, CIA Director Bill Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and a handful of White House and congressional staffers.
Also attending the meeting were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, left, Speaker Mike Johnson, second from left, and Vice President Kamala Harris, second from right
On government funding, he told congressional leaders, “Surely you have everything taken care of.” All joking aside, it is Congress's responsibility to fund the government.
En route to the White House, Johnson told reporters when asked if there would be a government shutdown: “No. We will work to prevent that.”
Some had speculated that Johnson might allow the government shutdown as a bargaining chip for spending cuts. Some right-wing conservatives have said in recent days that they are not afraid of a shutdown.
And weeks ago, the Senate passed a $95 billion bill to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and the Indo-Pacific, which Johnson refused to bring up in the House without border security measures.
Meanwhile, Johnson is currently under pressure from conservatives not to provide more money for foreign aid, putting him at odds with Biden and other congressional leaders, most of whom want to pass funding for Israel and Ukraine.
After meeting with Schumer on Monday, McConnell told reporters: “No, we are not going to shut down the government.”
Johnson orchestrated the so-called “Laddered” Continuing Resolution (CR) to move the funding deadline to two different time frames. Funding for four agencies will expire on March 1st. For the other eight agencies, it expires a week later, on March 8th.
The House of Representatives does not return to Washington until Wednesday evening, just two days before the shutdown.
Weekend negotiations on a spending plan for the top four agencies – Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD – appeared to be stalled – the text was expected Sunday evening but was not released.
Schumer wrote a letter to his colleagues on Sunday evening blaming House Republicans for the attack.
'[I]“It is now clear that House Republicans need more time to get their bearings,” Schumer wrote. “I sincerely hope that in the face of a devastating shutdown that would harm our economy and impact the safety of American families, Speaker Johnson will once again stand up to the extremists in his caucus and do the right thing.”
Johnson hit back, calling Schumer's letter “counterproductive” and saying there were ongoing “good faith” arrangements to reach a deal.
He blamed the delay on Democrats' last-minute demands “not previously included in Senate bills,” including new spending priorities “that are further to the left than what their chamber had agreed to.”
Democrats are pushing for another $1 billion for the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
The House farm budget bill would fund the program at 2023 levels.
“This is not a time for petty politics.” House Republicans will continue to work in good faith and hope to reach a conclusion as quickly as possible, even as we continue to insist that our own border security must be addressed immediately.”
Some right-wing conservatives have called for border security provisions to be included in spending bills, which could thwart any chance of passage by both chambers.
But they've come up with the idea of a different CR – with the House Freedom Caucus and other fiscal hawks advocating abandoning budget negotiations and pursuing a full-year CR.
“If Congress goes ahead with a CR beyond April 30, all discretionary spending will be cut by 1%!” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., noted on X a provision that was named the “Massie Rule” after him .
The Fiscal Responsibility Act, the debt limitation agreement negotiated between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden, enshrined a blanket spending cut of 1 percent.