Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2024

February 27, 2024

The President. All right. Well, thank you all for being here.

Look, I want to thank the leaders for being here today. We've got a lot of work to do. We've got to figure out how we're going to keep funding the Government, which is an important problem, an important solution we need to find. And I think we can do that.

AndâUkraineâI think the need is urgent. I hope we get to speak to that a little bit. And I think the consequence of inaction every day in Ukraine are dire. I've been speaking to some of ourâGâ7 partners. And you just got back, Chuck.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. I did. I did. Yes.

The President. They're very concerned.

Andâalso, we need toâin terms of the supplemental, we need to deal with the Israeli portion. But that also contains a significant portion having to do with humanitarian assistance into the Palestinian area, which I think is important.

And we have to replenish the air defenses for Israel, and we have to work on making sure they don't face the threat fromâthey can face the threat from theâfrom what's going on in the Middle East, not just from Hamas, but from Iran.

And soâand Government funding, I'm sure you guys had allâthat all taken care of. But all kidding aside, I think that it's Congress's responsibility to fund the Government. We've got to get about doing it. A shutdown would damage the economy significantly, and I think we all agree to that. And we need bipartisan solutions.

So I want to hear from the group. And I want to hear from all of you here. So thank you all for coming. And that's what we're going to be talking about. Thank you.

[*At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.*] We'll get a chance to talk afterwards.

NOTE: The President spoke at 11:43 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Michael Johnson; House Minority Leader Hakeem S. Jeffries; and Senate Minority Leader A. Mitchell McConnell.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Congressional leaders, meeting with President. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Jeffries, Hakeem S.; Johnson, J. Michael; McConnell, A. Mitchell; Schumer, Charles E.

Subjects: Congress, President's meeting with leadership; Gaza, humanitarian situation; Gaza, international assistance; Group of Seven (Gâ7) nations; Hamas political-paramilitary organization; House minority leader; Iran, regional involvement; Israel, U.S. assistance; Senate majority leader; Senate minority leader; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Ukraine, U.S. assistance.

DCPD Number: DCPD202400139.

1