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Schumer describes “intense” White House meeting with Johnson under pressure over Ukraine aid
Washington — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said an exchange during a White House meeting with President Biden over approving more aid for Ukraine was “one of the most intense” scenes he had ever witnessed in the Oval Office, where Speaker Mike Johnson faced bipartisan pressure to pass another round of military assistance.
The White House has urged Congress to pass a supplemental funding bill that would provide tens of billions of dollars in aid to U.S. allies and partners, including about $60 billion for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel and around $9.2 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The Senate passed the legislation earlier this month on a bipartisan basis, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far blocked its path forward in the House.
Schumer, the president, vice president, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear how “vital” the aid is to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, Schumer said after emerging from the meeting. He added that the issue is “so, so important” and that the group of leaders told Johnson to “get it done.”
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“We would, in all likelihood, lose the war” if Ukraine doesn’t get more ammunition and supplies soon, Schumer said. “NATO would be fractured at best. Allies would turn away from the United States.”
The New York Democrat’s comments came days after he returned from leading a bipartisan delegation to Ukraine. Schumer detailed how he was “so shaken” by what he saw, and “strengthened” by the strength of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people.
“The intensity in that room was surprising to me,” Schumer said of the White House meeting, which also included discussion on the upcoming deadline to fund the government. He outlined how the leaders made clear that history is watching and urged Johnson to “do the right thing” for Ukraine.
Schumer said that Johnson “tried to answer” and made it clear he wants to address U.S. border security. For months, House Republicans have pushed for enhanced border security to accompany any additional foreign aid to Ukraine. But GOP lawmakers also widely rejected a bipartisan Senate-negotiated agreement on border security earlier this month.
“We wanted to do border and have a tough secure border plan, as we showed, we Democrats showed in the Senate,” Schumer said. “He can’t say he won’t do Ukraine until we get border. He’s tried to do border for six months and couldn’t come up with a single Democratic vote.”
For his part, Johnson said he was clear in the meeting that the House is exploring all avenues for supplemental funding.
“I was very clear with the president and all those in the room that the House is actively pursuing and investigating all the various options on [the supplemental bill], and we will address that in a timely manner,” he said. “But again, the first priority of the country is our border and making sure it’s secure.”
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A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.
Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.
Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.
One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.
Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.
“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”
Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.
“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.
“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”
More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.
“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”
The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.
He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.
According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.
The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues.
The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.
The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.
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