President Joe Biden called on House Republicans, specifically Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to fulfill their commitments on government funding and aid to Ukraine following his signing of a bill that narrowly averted a shutdown. From the White House, Biden expressed appreciation for the agreement reached by lawmakers and promptly signed into law moments before funding was due to expire at midnight on Sunday. The president emphasized the need to avoid a similarly protracted and last-minute process during the upcoming negotiations leading up to the November 17 deadline for keeping the government operational.
Biden expressed frustration with the brinksmanship and shared that the American people feel the same way. He urged House GOP leadership to pass yearlong appropriations bills that align with the agreement made earlier this year between McCarthy and himself during the US debt ceiling debate. Biden has repeatedly criticized the speaker for deviating from the agreed spending cuts in those discussions.
Biden called on McCarthy and other Republican leaders to honor their pledge to hold a separate vote on providing funds to Ukraine in its efforts to resist a Russian invasion.
While acknowledging the absence of Ukraine funding in the bill he recently signed, the president stated that he couldn't rationalize inflicting hardship on millions of Americans by shutting down the government. He aimed to reassure Ukraine and United States allies that American support remains steadfast.
Biden expressed his hope that his friends on the other side would honor their commitment to support Ukraine. They had previously stated their intention to back Ukraine in a separate vote. Biden emphasized the importance of ensuring uninterrupted American support for Ukraine.
After making these remarks, Biden declined to comment on the impending controversy surrounding McCarthy's speakership. Earlier in the day, Rep. Matt Gaetz had informed CNN that he would move to remove the speaker as soon as this week. Biden also refrained from expressing his trust in McCarthy for future negotiations, but simply expressed his wish that the California Republican had learned from the recent developments.
"We have just reached an agreement regarding Ukraine, so we will soon discover," Biden stated in response to a journalist's inquiry.
However, Biden's frustration was evident due to the close call of a shutdown. He labeled the negotiation process as a "fabricated crisis" that would have inflicted avoidable suffering upon millions of Americans.
"The reality is that we shouldn't have ended up in this situation," stated Biden. "We never should have reached this point."
However, the president acknowledged that he did not anticipate Republicans taking prompt action to ensure the government remains operational beyond November 17.
"Im under no illusions that theyll be back again," he said.
