WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden met Thursday with House Speaker Mike Johnson for the first time since the Republican Louisiana congressman secured the gavel.
The two likely needed an introduction.
As Johnson takes over House leadership, Biden has no previous relationship with Johnson, a relative politically unknown figure who has less congressional experience than any House speaker in 140 years.
They’ll get to know each other quickly: Congress faces a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government or risk a shutdown. And Biden is asking Congress to approve a $106 billion security package that includes funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israel to help its war with Hamas.
“We want to move forward on making sure that we get the work done on behalf of the American people,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Johnson, a deeply conservative lawmaker whose speakership was backed by former , met with Biden at the White House a day after winning the speakership. He was there for a briefing on the president’s request for Israel, Ukraine and U.S.-Mexico border funding.
Biden, 80 years old, first got to Washington in 1973. Johnson, 51, has served in Congress since 2017 after serving one term as a state representative.
Jean-Pierre could recall only two other times Johnson previously crossed paths with Biden: the White House congressional picnic in June and a May celebration for the Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball national champions in which Biden acknowledged Johnson among Congress members in attendance.
Trump, following Johnson’s speaker victory in the House, boasted “MAGA MIKE JOHNSON” on social media. It followed a three-week speaker vacancy after former was ousted by House Republicans’ far-right flank and Republicans struggled to unite behind a new leader.
Johnson faces same pressure from the right that doomed McCarthy
McCarthy and Biden had a strained relationship but they found enough common crown to raise the federal debt ceiling last summer to avoid default and pass a stop-gap measure in September to temporarily fund the government until Nov. 17.
For Johnson to do business with Biden, he will have to navigate the same pressure from the far-right of his caucus that ended up sinking McCarthy.
And both will have to overcome some major differences that go beyond policy.
Johnson played a role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, leading an amicus brief signed by more than 100 GOP lawmakers calling for the Supreme Court to reverse Trump’s loss in key battleground states.
And many House Republicans will be looking to Johnson to continue impeachment inquiry hearings against Biden over the business dealings of his son .
Among Biden’s biggest challenges is getting $60 billion in Ukraine aid approved amid widespread resistance from House Republicans.
Although Johnson was among Republicans who voted against $40 billion in Ukraine aid in May, he told reporters Wednesday he is open to Biden’s latest request.
“We are going to have conditions on that, so we’re working through it,” Johnson said. “We want accountability, and we want objectives that are clear from the White House.”
Biden, in a statement Wednesday after Johnson won the speakership, said they “need to move swiftly to address our national security needs and to avoid a shutdown.”
“Even though we have real disagreements about important issues, there should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can,” Biden said.
White House, Biden campaign greet Johnson differently
In a speech last month in Arizona, Biden warned of “MAGA extremists” led by Trump who disregard the Constitution and democratic norms – a theme that will be at the center of Biden’s reelection bid.
Jean-Pierre was asked whether Biden considers Johnson a “MAGA extremist.”
“I think he’s defined himself as that way. So he’s going to have to answer that question for himself,” Jean-Pierre said, referring to the speaker. “I’m just not going to prejudge what the relationship is going to be like now that he’s speaker.”
Yet the White House struck a very different tone than the Biden reelection campaign, which issued a statement saying “MAGA Mike Johnson’s ascension to the speakership cements the extreme MAGA takeover of the House Republican Conference.”
“Now, Donald Trump has his loyal foot soldier to ban abortion nationwide, lead efforts to deny free and fair election results, gut Social Security and Medicare, and advance the extreme MAGA agenda at the expense of middle-class families,” Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said.
Asked about the campaign’s attack, Jean-Pierre said, “I’m not going to speak to what the campaign does.”
Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly known as Twitter, @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Biden meets Speaker Johnson. Can they do business together?