WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden met with the new House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries at the White House on Thursday to discuss his request for nearly $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other national security needs.
Johnson, a staunch conservative allied with Donald Trump, has shown little interest in providing additional money from Congress to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Biden met briefly with Johnson and Jeffries before a classified briefing for them and other congressional leaders on the assistance package, according to a White House official.
“It was a productive meeting,” Johnson told reporters back at the Capitol. “I enjoyed my visit with the president.”
Johnson, who inherited many of the same political problems that tormented past GOP leaders and challenged their tenure as speaker, had a busy first full day in office. He planned to meet later with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Earlier, Johnson said “prayer is appropriate” as a response to the mass shootings in Maine.
“This is a dark time in America,” Johnson said at the Capitol. He added: "Prayer is appropriate at a time like this, that the evil can end and the senseless violence can stop.”
Johnson, an evangelical Christian, declined to take questions, including about the possibility of any gun violence legislation from Congress.
The House convened with a bustle of activity, making up for lost time during the weeks of chaos since Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker. But the initial goodwill toward Johnson, R-La., blurs the political fault lines challenging his ability to lead the GOP majority in the face of daunting issues ahead.
By Nov. 17, the Congress must fund the government again or risk a federal shutdown. Biden wants nearly $106 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Israel and Ukraine. And Republicans are eager to resume their impeachment inquiry into Biden over his son Hunter's business dealings.
“Enough of the chaos, enough of the dysfunction,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y., adding it was time for Congress to get back to business.
Jeffries said Democrats were “heartbroken” over the latest shootings and stand with the people of Maine in every way possible, including discussing how Congress can address gun violence.
The briefing in the Situation Room for Johnson and other House leaders on the emergency funding request was the first time the new speaker, who opposes the aid to Ukraine, was getting a close airing from White House officials about Biden’s case for the money. The White House has conducted similar briefings in recent weeks.
Biden had called Johnson to congratulate him after his election Wednesday and said it was “time for all of us to act responsibly” to fund the government and provide that foreign aid. “We need to move swiftly,” the president said in a statement.
Johnson, 51, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn as speaker and is now second in line to the presidency, after the vice president.
While not the Republicans' top choice, Johnson had few foes and an important backer in Donald Trump.
“He’s a tremendous leader,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the Republican front-runner for the White House in 2024 is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.
Johnson heard from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who told Johnson in a call that a bipartisan agreement with Democrats is the only way to avoid a shutdown.
At the Capitol on Thursday, Johnson sat down with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who told reporters afterward that he had a “very good” meeting with the new speaker.
In winning the gavel, Johnson, who has been in the House for less than a decade, drew together fellow Republicans through his faith, conservative roots and Trump’s nod after more seasoned leaders had failed. Far-right members in the House had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives did not want a hard-liner.
“You watch and see how much this House of Representatives can actually get done under Mike Johnson," said Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who led the eight hard-liners in ousting McCarthy.
Democrats said Johnson, a lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, was an extreme conservative, a strict opponent of abortion access and an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Biden.
“Republicans have chosen a MAGA acolyte to push an extreme agenda in the House at the expense of middle-class families,” said Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of the Democrats' campaign committee, referring to Trump's “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
After Johnson's election, lawmakers approved a resolution Wednesday saying the House “stands with Israel” and “condemns Hamas’ brutal war.” They next turned to a stalled government funding bill.
Rather than take a scheduled work period at home, Republicans rearranged the House calendar to return to Washington next week and keep pushing through the various government funding bills before the Nov. 17 deadline.
In a letter to colleagues, Johnson outlined priorities that include providing a short-term funding bill, into next year, to prevent a November shutdown — almost the same move that led to McCarthy's ouster.
While Johnson has spoken of the importance of helping fund Israel in the fight against Hamas, he has shown little interest in providing more money for Ukraine as it battles Russia.
Most Republicans voted against the budget deal McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with Biden earlier this year, demanding steeper spending cuts. Johnson will need to navigate the far-right demands with the realities of keeping the government functioning.
Similar Republican infighting chased three other GOP speakers — John Boehner of Ohio, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Newt Gingrich of Georgia — to early departures. The difference now is that Republican rules allow any single lawmaker to force a vote to remove the speaker from office, the threat that ultimately toppled McCarthy.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
