Top congressional leaders to meet with Biden to discuss stalled federal funding

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will host Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Biden is expected to urge House leaders to pass a $95 billion Senate aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Senators passed the measure earlier this month but Johnson has so far not brought it to the House floor. He has criticized the bill’s lack of funding for national security.

A group of Republican and Democratic representatives earlier this month proposed an alternative $66 billion bill that includes foreign aid with provisions to tighten American border security. Meanwhile, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan during a Sunday interview on ABC News said the Senate bill has bipartisan support in the House and urged Johnson to bring it for a vote. Representatives have yet to vote on either proposal.

What else will the leaders discuss? Lawmakers are expected to continue negotiating agreements to fund critical federal agencies as current spending measures are set to expire in March. Funding is set to expire on March 1 for the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and other programs. Funding for the rest of the government is set to expire on March 8. Schumer on Sunday published a letter to his colleagues in which he criticized House Republicans for failing to pass appropriations bills. Meanwhile, Johnson wrote on social media that lawmakers are trying to compromise and reach agreements with the Senate.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about how the House has resisted the push to pass funding for Ukraine.