(NewsNation) — As a possible partial government shutdown looms, top congressional leaders met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House in an attempt to secure a short-term government funding deal ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Government funding will run out for four appropriation measures Friday at midnight if a deal is not met, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned could impact things like food programs, veterans services and housing loans.
With only a few days remaining to reach a deal, Tuesday’s meeting at the White House was meant to focus on a government funding bill, but was overshadowed by discussions about funding Ukraine and border security.
Following the meeting, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told media the discussions over additional funding for Ukraine were “intense” but “productive.”
The U.S. cannot “afford to wait a month or two months or three months because we [are] likely to lose a war, NATO would be fractured at best, allies would turn away from the United States,” Schumer told reporters gathered outside the West Wing.
Meanwhile, some House Republicans want to see these negotiations lead to spending cuts as well as big changes along the border, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has already warned they may be somewhat disappointed.
In a recent private call with party members, Johnson said, “I don’t think anybody on this call thinks that we’re going to be able to use the appropriations process to fundamentally remake major areas of policy. If you’re expecting a lot of home runs and grand slams here, I admit you’ll be disappointed.”
The top two leaders in the Senate have also raised concerns about not reaching a deal.
“Even a partial shutdown would mean chaos and pain for the American people,” Schumer said.
“Shutting down the government is harmful to the country. And it never produces positive outcomes on either policy or politics,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.
This marks the fourth time over the last several months Congress has faced a possible shutdown. Every previous occurrence led to a short-term funding deal, which is what could be seen again this week.
Schumer and McConnell seem eye to eye on averting a shutdown. But the pressure in the House is another story. Johnson will have to decide to move the deal to the floor and get Democratic support, which could cost him his job like it did his predecessor.
“We realize the speaker of the House is in a difficult position,” Schumer said.
The border crisis also came up in Tuesday’s meeting. Johnson said a Senate-passed bill addressing border security isn’t going anywhere in the House, and he’s been requesting a one-on-one with Biden to discuss the border for months now.
Biden says he is happy to meet with Johnson if he “has something to say.”