Mike Johnson wants Biden meeting before action on Ukraine, Israel aid package
The House speaker, who has previously met with Biden, is seeking a one-on-one meeting ahead of any movement on legislation that would provide aid for the U.S. allies.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson wants an in-person, one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden before proceeding with a supplemental aid package with funding for Ukraine and Israel, a source close to Johnson said.
Johnson, R-La., and his staff have requested the meetings with Biden through senior White House officials several times over the past two months after Johnson's trip last month to the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, the source said.
The most recent request for a meeting came just over a week ago, several days before the Senate passed a bipartisan $95 billion national security package and before House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Johnson's requests for a meeting were not necessarily about the Senate’s version of the supplemental aid but rather about a general path forward on a legislative package.
The Senate bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed with support from 70 senators.
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