(PartiallyPolitics.com) – House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, humorously acknowledged on Wednesday that descriptions of him being outnumbered during a recent meeting at the White House with Congressional leaders were “pretty accurate.”
During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday and included discussions on Ukraine funding and preventing a government shutdown, Johnson found himself alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York. They were joined by President Biden and Vice President Harris.
The atmosphere of the meeting was described as both intense and fruitful, with participants feeling somewhat convinced that Johnson understood the urgency of preventing a government shutdown set for Friday.
In a conversation with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Johnson responded to questions about being isolated during the discussion by saying, “Well, their reports are pretty accurate. It seemed like it was just me against everyone else in the room.”
Johnson further explained to Hannity, “What the liberal media fails to grasp is that in Washington, being seen as a solitary leader often means you’re actually standing with the American people. And that’s exactly what I did. I reminded the President and everyone present that the most pressing issue facing our country is the open border crisis, a situation that President Biden has engineered and exacerbated. I’ve consistently stated that he needs to use his executive powers to address this issue without delay.”
This admission from Johnson came shortly after Congressional leaders reached an agreement to prevent a government shutdown by extending funding deadlines into March, allowing more time for detailed spending discussions.
An anonymous senator reflected on the dynamics of the meeting, suggesting that demonstrating a three-to-one advantage could exert pressure or influence on an individual, expressing hope that Johnson felt this pressure.
The leaders also united in their call for Johnson to consider the Senate’s $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine. Despite this, Johnson has indicated his reluctance to bring the package to the House floor due to the absence of border security measures that House Republicans have been demanding for some time. He had previously blocked a bipartisan bill that contained border security measures earlier in the month.
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