Speaker Mike Johnson made “unequivocally” clear that he wants to avoid a government shutdown during a private Tuesday meeting with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Biden’s stalled request for Ukraine aid, however, remains more in doubt.
With just four days to go until federal funding partially runs out, congressional leaders emerged from the meeting with the president optimistic they could avoid a shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters at the Capitol that the meeting focused mainly on keeping the government open, “which I think we all can agree on.”
It’s become fairly clear that Congress needs a stopgap patch to avoid a partial shutdown on Saturday at midnight. Schumer said to ask Johnson about the possibility of passing such a short-term bill; Johnson has been trying to avoid a so-called continuing resolution, but there may be little other choice at this point.
www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/27/congress/johnson-at-meeting-00143561