Posted on 05/22/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday he spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and they are working to coordinate a date for Netanyahu to give a joint address to Congress, CNN reported.
“Our formal letter will go out this week. And I'm happy to tell you that I think Chuck Schumer will be co-signing the letter that's been a long time awaited, we've been awaiting that for since mid-March. But I think he'll sign on now. And then we'll find a time that's convenient for the prime minister and we're happy to host him,” Johnson told reporters.
On Tuesday, Johnson said he had presented Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with an ultimatum: Join his letter inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, or the House will move ahead with an invitation on its own.
Johnson told reporters that his office notified Schumer’s staff the day before that if the Senate leader does not sign the draft invitation for Netanyahu by Tuesday, he will proceed with inviting Netanyahu to address just the House.
The Speaker, however, noted that he would invite senators to attend the speech.
Schumer reiterated following Johnson’s comments that he is open to hosting the Israeli leader at the Capitol.
“Yes,” Schumer replied when asked if he supports the idea of having Netanyahu address a joint meeting of Congress.
“I’m discussing that now with the Speaker of the House, and as I’ve always said, our relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends any one Prime Minister or president,” he added.