On Monday, the White House was lit in blue and white, the colors of the Israeli flag, to underscore U.S. solidarity with Israel. | Jon Elswick/AP
The White House will meet Friday afternoon with a group of top House lawmakers to discuss plans for sending aid to Israel, four Capitol Hill aides confirmed.
The meeting comes as the Biden administration prepares a new supplemental funding request meant to support Israel’s military and defense capabilities in its war with Hamas. White House expects that request to be made next week, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday.
The group of lawmakers is expected to include top House appropriators and leaders of the Foreign Affairs committee, two aides said. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who is serving as the acting House speaker, will also join the meeting, one aide said.
An official for the White House National Security Council said the meeting was being held to brief “key leaders on the gravity of the situation in Israel and Ukraine.”
The meeting comes as House Republicans continue to try and elect a speaker, having been without one for days.
Leaders in both parties have pledged full support for Israel in response to last week’s terror attacks by Hamas, such as approving additional security assistance funding. But it’s unclear whether the House can act on such legislation before Republicans choose a new speaker.
The White House has also floated tying Israel aid to funding that it plans to request for Ukraine, a decision that some House Republicans have warned will imperil support for the entire package.
Nicholas Wu and Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.
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