Washington — President Biden is meeting with top congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday morning to discuss legislative priorities for the rest of the year as lawmakers return to Washington for their lame-duck session ahead of the new Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are in attendance at Tuesday's meeting in the Roosevelt Room, along with Vice President Kamala Harris. It's the group's first such gathering since the midterm elections. With Republicans poised to take control of the House in January, there is much Democrats hope — and need — to accomplish with control of both chambers in the coming weeks.
At the top of the meeting, when press coverage was allowed, the president said the economy is at risk due to the looming potential national rail strike. On Monday night, he asked Congress to intervene and pass a congressional resolution forcing workers to their stations, as a strike could halt supply chains and worsen inflationary prices. Mr. Biden told reporters Tuesday he is "confident" they can prevent a rail strike.
"I asked for top leaders in Congress to come in and talk about what we're going to do between now and Christmas," the president said. "There's a lot to do, including resolving the train strike."
The president also said they need to work together to fund the government ahead of a Dec. 16 deadline, as well as fund COVID-19 needs and Ukraine aid.
Congress' lengthy to-do list also includes a vote Tuesday on final passage of the the Respect for Marriage Act to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. They also must pass an annual defense authorization bill. Democrats also hope to finalize a bipartisan bill to reform how Congress counts electoral votes.
Pelosi announced after the midterm elections that she will not seek a role in leadership in the next Congress, although she'll remain in office. McCarthy won the GOP nominee for speaker, but it remains to be seen whether he will attract the 218 votes he needs to take the gavel in January.
Gillian Morley contributed to this report.
