WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said on Monday he was willing to meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson to discuss a bill to fund Ukraine’s war against Russia, saying Republicans were making a mistake opposing an aid package.
The Senate approved a $95 billion aid package that includes funds for Ukraine in a bipartisan vote earlier this month, but Johnson has so far refused to bring it to a vote on the House floor, which Republicans narrowly control with 219 members. Margin 212. Demands a meeting with Biden.
“Sure, I’d be happy to meet with him if he has something to say,” Biden said.
Speaking to reporters on his way back to the White House from a weekend in Delaware, Biden said Republicans were making a big mistake opposing aid to Ukraine to be used in its war to repel Russian invaders.
Congress is not scheduled to return to Washington until Feb. 28, when it faces an urgent deadline to avert a partial government shutdown that would begin March 1 without lawmakers’ intervention. Some lawmakers have discussed alternative laws or ways around Johnson’s objections, but all of those alternatives carry their own uncertainties.
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Johnson spokesman Raj Shah said Monday that the speaker had been seeking a one-on-one meeting with Biden for several weeks and welcomed Biden’s “openness to meet with Speaker Johnson about the best way forward to secure the nation.” It’s long overdue.”
Biden, who has sharply criticized his likely election rival Donald Trump and other Republicans for threatening not to defend NATO allies if they don’t pay enough for common defense, said Republicans are making a big mistake by “walking away from the threat of Russia” and “walking away from NATO”.
“It’s shocking,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.
Biden said he hoped the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony in the Arctic region last Friday would galvanize Republicans to support aid to Ukraine, but said “I’m not sure” that would change that.
Biden also said the United States was considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia over Navalny’s death.
“We already have sanctions, but we are considering more sanctions, yes,” he said.
Biden on Friday blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for Navalny’s death and warned there could be repercussions, saying he was “not surprised” but “outraged” by the opposition leader’s departure.
