U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Congressional leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, at the White House on Feb. 27 to discuss a funding bill for Ukraine’s security needs, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 25.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion security package that included $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. The bill now faces an uphill battle in the Republican-led House of Representatives. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to put it to a vote in the House, instead declaring recess until the end of February.
The White House released a weekly schedule late Sunday night which included a Feb. 27 meeting with Congressional leadership. According to Bloomberg, President Biden and members of Congress "will discuss the urgency of passing the bipartisan national security supplemental and keeping the government open.”
Johnson's office later confirmed to Bloomberg that he will be attending the meeting with President Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will also be attending the meeting.
Previous reports have suggested that Speaker Johnson had wanted an in-person, one-on-one meeting with Biden before he took any action on the funding bill.
Johnson reportedly requested personal meetings with Biden several times in recent weeks, which Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise claimed the president has "refused."
Delays in U.S. aid have already had an impact on the ground in Ukraine. The loss of Avdiivka, a Donetsk Oblast city that has faced Russian attacks since 2014, was linked to shortages in artillery shells and other supplies provided by the West.
John Roberts
