WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 President Joe Biden met with new House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries at the White House on Thursday to discuss his request for nearly $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other national security needs.
Johnson, a staunch conservative allied with , has shown little interest in providing additional money from Congress to support .
Later, the new Republican speaker insisted Congress is 鈥渘ot going to abandon鈥 Ukraine.
Instead, Johnson said House Republicans would first bring a separate bill to provide $14.5 billion in aid to Israel, but they need more information about the Biden administration's Ukraine strategy.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine because I don't believe it would stop there,鈥 Johnson said on Fox News' 鈥淗annity,鈥 referring to the Russian president. But he said, 鈥淲e must stand with our important ally in the Middle East and that's Israel.鈥
The new Republican leader who swept into office nearly a month after had a busy first full day in office, having inherited many of the same political problems that tormented past GOP leaders and challenged their tenure as speaker.
In the morning, Johnson said 鈥減rayer is appropriate鈥 as a response to .
Johnson, an evangelical Christian from Louisiana, declined to take questions, including about the possibility of any gun violence legislation from Congress.
鈥淧rayer is appropriate at a time like this, that the evil can end and the senseless violence can stop,鈥 he said.
The House convened with a bustle of activity, making up for lost time during the weeks of chaos since . But the initial goodwill toward Johnson blurs the political fault lines challenging his ability to lead the GOP majority in the face of daunting issues ahead.
By Nov. 17, the Congress must fund the government again or risk a . Biden wants nearly for Israel and Ukraine. And Republicans are eager to resume their impeachment inquiry into Biden over his son Hunter's business dealings.
鈥淓nough of the chaos, enough of the dysfunction,鈥 said Jeffries, D-N.Y., adding it was time for Congress to get back to business.
Jeffries said Democrats were 鈥渉eartbroken鈥 over the latest shootings and stand with the people of Maine in every way possible, including discussing how Congress can address gun violence.
Johnson said he and Biden met together for more than 15 minutes before the other party arrived.
鈥淚t was a productive meeting,鈥 Johnson told reporters back at the Capitol. 鈥淚 enjoyed my visit with the president.鈥
Biden met with Johnson and Jeffries before the House leaders joined a classified briefing with other congressional lawmakers on the assistance package, according to a White House official.
The briefing in the Situation Room for Johnson and other House leaders on the emergency funding request was the first time the new speaker, who opposes the aid to Ukraine, was getting a close airing from White House officials about Biden鈥檚 case for the money. The White House has conducted similar briefings in recent weeks.
Biden had called Johnson to congratulate him after his election Wednesday and said it was 鈥渢ime for all of us to act responsibly鈥 to fund the government and provide that foreign aid. 鈥淲e need to move swiftly,鈥 the president said in a statement.
Johnson, 51, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn as speaker and is now second in line to the presidency, after the vice president.
While not the Republicans' top choice, Johnson had few foes and an important backer in Donald Trump.
At the Capitol on Thursday, Johnson sat down with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who told reporters afterward that he had a 鈥渧ery good鈥 meeting with the new speaker.
Johnson met later with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said on social media they had a 鈥済reat meeting.鈥 He has also heard from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who told the new speaker in a Wednesday call that a bipartisan agreement with Democrats is the only way to avoid a shutdown.
In winning the gavel, Johnson, who has been in the House for less than a decade, drew together fellow Republicans through his faith, conservative roots and Trump鈥檚 nod after more seasoned leaders had failed.
鈥淚鈥檓 a Bible-believing Christian,鈥 Johnson told Fox's Sean Hannity.
The speaker said when he's asked his views on the issues, he advises: 鈥淲ell, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it, that鈥檚 my worldview. That鈥檚 what I believe.鈥
Democrats said Johnson, a lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, was an extreme conservative, a strict opponent of abortion access and an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Biden.
After Johnson's election, lawmakers approved a resolution Wednesday saying the House 鈥渟tands with Israel鈥 and 鈥渃ondemns Hamas鈥 brutal war.鈥 They next turned to a stalled government funding bill.
Rather than take a scheduled work period at home, Republicans rearranged the House calendar to return to Washington next week and keep pushing through the various government funding bills before the Nov. 17 deadline.
In a letter to colleagues, Johnson outlined priorities that include providing a short-term funding bill, into next year, to prevent a November shutdown 鈥 almost the same move that led to McCarthy's ouster.
鈥淪peaker Johnson has been very clear that we鈥檝e got to secure America鈥檚 border, we want to support Israel,鈥 said Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who conferred with Johnson ahead of the White House meeting. 鈥淏ut all of the other items that the President is talking about run secondary.鈥
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Johnson is thoughtful and smart, and understands that aid for Ukraine is a national security issue, despite opposition from other Republicans in their majority.
"And what I saw in the Situation Room was I thought he was very open to the idea,鈥 said McCaul.
To avoid a shutdown, Johnson will need to balance far-right demands with the realities of keeping the government functioning. Most Republicans voted against the budget deal McCarthy, R-Calif., struck with Biden earlier this year, demanding steeper spending cuts.
Similar Republican infighting has chased three other GOP speakers to early departures. The difference now is that Republican rules allow any single lawmaker to force a vote to remove the speaker from office.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
