The White House has invited the top four congressional leaders to meet with President Joe Biden on Wednesday to discuss a national security supplemental funding request that has stalled in Congress.
Biden has requested $106 billion, largely for the war in Ukraine but also to provide security assistance for Israel, Taiwan, and the border; however, House opposition to the Ukraine portion has left the entire bill in limbo for months.
Senate leadership had devised a strategy to unlock that aid, pairing the supplemental with border policy changes demanded by the House, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has signaled he will reject any deal that falls short of H.R. 2, the House’s signature border bill.
The White House has rejected that legislation as a nonstarter.
The meeting, announced by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday, comes as congressional leadership forges a path forward on government funding.
Johnson reached a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on top-line spending earlier this month and has agreed to extend funding into March to allow more time for negotiations.
But Ukraine funding has remained the thorniest subject on Capitol Hill as conservatives question the wisdom of continuing a war against Russia without an articulated exit strategy. The conflict will enter its third year in February.
Senate Republicans have joined the House in opposition, citing the need for changes to immigration law as border crossings reach record levels, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is fundamentally in agreement with Democrats on the need for further Ukraine funding.
The legislation has become more politically difficult to pass as time drags on. The supplemental includes billions for Israel following the Oct. 7 invasion of Hamas, but the country’s counteroperations, including bombings the White House has denounced as “indiscriminate,” have led to growing pressure for the aid to be conditioned.
More importantly, the White House has warned that its existing funding for Ukraine has run out. The Biden administration sent what it called its final tranche of assistance in December.
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The supplemental was key to getting defense hawks on board with a deal to avert a debt default last spring. The agreement, reaffirmed by Johnson and Schumer with small modifications, would marginally cut defense spending when adjusted for inflation.
The top members of key congressional committees have also been invited to the White House meeting, Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
