Biden to meet congressional leaders with shutdown clock ticking

[February 26, 2024]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to meet with congressional leaders Tuesday to discuss funding the government as a partial shutdown deadline looms on Friday, the White House announced Sunday.   

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks to U.S. governors attending the National Governors Association winter meeting, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 23, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

Biden will meet with top Democrats and Republicans from both the House and Senate on Tuesday, where the president will discuss the "urgency" of passing a government funding bill before midnight on Friday (0500 GMT Saturday). He also plans to discuss a stalled national security bill that provides assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The meeting comes as lawmakers remain at a stalemate to avoid a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement Sunday that there still was no deal and called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to "step up" and strike a bipartisan compromise, despite objections from his party's most conservative lawmakers.

Johnson later Sunday posted on X that Republicans were still negotiating in good faith and contended many of the points still up for debate were later demands from Democrats. He said he hoped to reach an outcome "as soon as possible."

Funding is due to run out on March 1 for some federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, while others like the Defense Department face a March 8 deadline.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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