Biden now ‘happy to meet’ with Speaker Johnson over Ukraine funding, border impasse after WH snubbed past discussion requests
By Social Links for Steven Nelson
Published Feb. 19, 2024, 12:20 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — President Biden pivoted on Monday, saying that he would be “happy to meet” with House Speaker Mike Johnson — after White House staff rejected the Louisiana Republican’s recent requests to discuss pending Ukraine aid and US-Mexico border policy changes.
“Sure, I’d be happy to meet with him if he has anything to say,” the 81-year-old president told reporters on the White House lawn as he returned from a long weekend at his Rehoboth Beach, Del., vacation home.
Biden’s willingness to meet comes after his aides for weeks rebuffed Johnson’s requests.
A Hill source told The Post that the speaker’s staff had been trying for more than five weeks to set up a meeting, but that the White House denied the requests.
Johnson told reporters last week that he needs face time with Biden to negotiate a path forward that could break through sharp policy disagreements.
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https://nypost.com/2024/02/19/us-news/biden-now-says-happy-to-meet-johnson-over-ukraine-funding-border-impasse/