Biden will meet with leaders in Congress

The White House said on Sunday that President Joe Biden will meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday to talk about funding the government as a partial shutdown deadline approaches on Friday. On Tuesday, President Biden will meet with leading Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate to discuss the “urgency” of passing a government funding bill by Friday at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday). He also intends to talk about a national security bill that aids Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine but has been sitting on the shelf. To prevent a government shutdown, lawmakers are still at a standstill, which is why they are meeting. Despite opposition from the most conservative members of his party, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement on Sunday that there was still no agreement and urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to “step up” and reach a bipartisan compromise. 

WASHINGTON: The White House said on Sunday that President Joe Biden will meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday to discuss funding the government as a partial shutdown deadline approaches. On Tuesday, President Biden will meet with leading Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate to discuss the “urgency” of passing a government funding bill by Friday at midnight (0500 GMT Saturday). He also intends to discuss a national security bill that aids Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine but has been sitting on the shelf.

Biden’s meeting with members of Congress is very important 

For weeks now, Biden has been begging Congress to approve more funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia, stating that failing to do so would be a historic mistake that could jeopardise both national and international security. Johnson once again hinted that the House would not vote on the national security funding bill because it did not contain the desired border provisions, despite the Senate having overwhelmingly approved it earlier this month. The funding included money for Ukraine, Israel, and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Johnson had already turned down a plan that called for tighter border controls. Congress has a deadline to pass funding legislation in order to prevent a shutdown.

With two impending funding deadlines this week—March 1 for a select few agencies and March 8 for the remaining agencies—Congress will be back in Washington this week with limited time to resolve disagreements and move bills to the floor in order to keep the government operating. When Biden last welcomed congressional leaders to the White House in January, he was urging them to support Ukraine’s military conflict with Russia. Johnson said earlier this month that he had been requesting a meeting with Biden for weeks; the White House first rejected the request but later seemed more receptive to it.

And Biden will discuss the issue of Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators will be sworn in as jurors for an impeachment trial for the third time in the last five years. However, the charges against former President Donald Trump are expected to take up much more of the chamber’s time than those against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, or perhaps none at all. On February 13, the Republican-controlled House impeached Mayorkas by a mere margin of one vote, urging his removal from office due to his management of the border between the United States and Mexico. The House has filed two articles of impeachment, alleging that Mayorkas violated the public trust by lying to Congress about the security of the border and by “willfully and systematically” refusing to enforce current immigration laws.

Democrats argue that the allegations are more of a disagreement over policy than the “high crimes and misdemeanors” that the Constitution lists as requirements for impeachment. It took a close second attempt to impeach a Cabinet secretary—the House having rejected the attempt a week earlier—but the vote of 214–213, marking the first time in nearly 150 years, was successful. Senate leaders have also demonstrated little interest in devoting much time to the charges, even though the Senate is now required to consider them. Mayorkas would need to be found guilty by two-thirds of the Senate, and not a single Democrat has expressed support for the impeachment effort. Nevertheless, the procedures for impeachment require senators to adhere to, and it would probably take the support of all Democrats to drop the accusations entirely.

Calendar an impact trail  

Following a ceremonial walk across the Capitol with the articles in hand, a group of House managers, members who serve as prosecutors and are appointed by the speaker, will read the articles on the Senate floor to deliver the impeachment charges. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-La., has not yet stated when that will occur, but it might happen as soon as this week when the Senate reconvenes following a two-week break. Senators will probably take the oath of office as jurors the following day. The person being tried must then be summoned by the Senate to be informed of the charges and to provide a written response. However, Mayorkas would never have to appear before the Senate. The Senate is usually left to decide how to proceed after that, according to the rules. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has not yet stated his plans, but if he has the necessary votes, he is anticipated to attempt to have the trial dismissed in some way. 51–49 in favour of Democrats in the Senate.