President Joe Biden is set to meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday to address the looming partial government shutdown deadline and discuss the urgent passage of a government funding bill before midnight on Friday.
As the shutdown deadline approaches, lawmakers find themselves at an impasse, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing concern over the lack of a deal.
“While we had hoped to have legislation ready this weekend that would give ample time for members to review the text, it is clear now that House Republicans need more time to sort themselves out,” Schumer said in a letter to his colleagues, as per AP news.
In response, House Speaker Mike Johnson, stated, “This is not a time for petty politics. House Republicans will continue to work in good faith and hope to reach an outcome as soon as possible, even as we continue to insist that our own border security must be addressed immediately.”
The funding deadline for departments such as Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs is slated for March 1. The rest of the federal government, including entities like the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, faces funding deadline expiration on March 8.
The failure of congressional leaders to reach a deal on legislation has pushed the government to the brink of a partial shutdown within days. Republicans insist on incorporating right-wing policy dictates into spending bills, further complicating negotiations.
The meeting, involving top Democrats and Republicans from both the House and Senate, will also touch upon a stalled national security bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific.
The Republican-led House is under pressure to pass the $95 billion national security package. However, Speaker Johnson has been resisting to put the the aid bill for a vote in the House.
The meeting on Tuesday will gather the top four congressional leaders, including Johnson, Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a stark warning to US lawmakers. He said, in an interview with CNN, that millions could die in the Ukraine-Russia war if President Biden’s $60 billion aid request for Kyiv is not approved.
“To understand it is to come to the front line to see what’s going on, to speak with the people, then to go to civilians to understand … what will (happen to) them without this support. And he will understand that millions … will be killed. It’s a fact,” Zelensky said.
