WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Joe Biden said Tuesday he hopes both parties' lawmakers can work together to keep the government open, boost spending for Ukraine and avert a crippling rail strike. But the Republicans' pick to be the next House speaker shrugged off the sunny talk, serving notice that things are 鈥済oing to be different鈥� once the GOP takes control of the chamber.
Biden's meeting with congressional leaders at the White House came as he looks to lock in more legislative wins before Democrats lose unified control of Washington on Jan. 3. In the meantime, the president is dependent on Congress to avoid a government shutdown on Dec. 16, and he wants major new funding to fight COVID-19 response and bolster U.S. support for Ukraine's economy and defense against .
Most urgently, Biden has called on Congress to step in and impose a tentative agreement between railroads and workers to avert next week.
Congress is months behind on passing funding legislation for the current fiscal year, relying on stopgap measures largely maintaining existing funding levels that federal agencies have warned leave them strapped for cash and don't address new priorities.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to work together, I hope, to fund the government," Biden told the visiting lawmakers, emphasizing the importance of Ukraine and pandemic funding as well.
The president said the 鈥渆conomy's at risk鈥� because of the looming rail strike, and he said he is 鈥渃onfident鈥� that Congress can act to avert it. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to do, including resolving the train strike," he said.
Meeting in the Roosevelt Room, Biden sat at the head of the conference table, flanked by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the two smiling brightly at the start of the meeting.
But Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared more reserved.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, McCarthy said Biden 鈥済ot an indication that it鈥檚 going to be different鈥� once Republicans take control of the House. He blasted the Biden administration鈥檚 immigration policies, and promised a new round of investigations once the GOP is in power.
McCarthy is in January, though he must first overcome dissent within the GOP conference to win a floor vote on Jan. 3.
McCarthy, who has hardly spoken with Biden during the president's first two years in office, said, "I can work with anybody," but that the Nov. 8 midterm elections show that 鈥淎merica likes a check and balance.鈥�
Democrats Schumer and Pelosi described the meeting as 鈥済ood鈥� and 鈥減roductive鈥� as they left the White House. 鈥淭here was good will in the room,鈥� Schumer said, 鈥渢rying to have a meeting of the minds.鈥�
All the leaders said their preference was to pass a comprehensive spending bill for the fiscal year, rather than a continuing resolution that largely maintains existing funding levels.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have an option we may have to have a yearlong" stop-gap bill, Pelosi added.
McCarthy, who has promised to look more critically at the Biden administration's requests for Ukraine aid, told reporters that, 鈥淚鈥檓 not for a blank check for anything." He said he wasn't necessarily opposed to more funding, but wanted to ensure 鈥渢here鈥檚 accountability and audits."
Congress is also taking up legislation to codify , raise the debt limit and reform in a bid to prevent another attempt like 2020 when then-President Donald Trump and allied lawmakers in the presidential election won by Biden.
The Senate approved the marriage bill late Tuesday, sending it to the House before it goes to Biden's desk.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to find other areas of common ground, I hope,鈥� Biden added, 鈥渂ecause the American people want us to work together.鈥�
As the meeting began, he quipped, 鈥淚鈥檓 sure this is going to go very quickly鈥� to reach agreement on everything. Lawmakers spent a bit more than an hour with the president, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and senior White House aides.
Republicans will hold a narrow majority in the House come January, while Democrats will retain control of the Senate. next week will determine whether Biden's party will hold a 51-49 majority or Vice President Kamala Harris will be needed to break a 50-50 tie.
Zeke Miller And Colleen Long, The Associated Press
