White House rejects Johnson's requests to meet with Biden: 'What is there to negotiate?'

House Speaker Mike Johnson wants a one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden to find a way forward to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and border security, but those requests have been denied.

Johnson on Wednesday reiterated his call for a sit down with Biden, seeking to put the onus on the White House to more forcefully intervene as Congress remains at a standstill.

«I am going to continue to insist on that because there are very serious issues that need to be addressed and if the speaker of the House cannot meet with the president of the United States, that's a problem,» Johnson said. «I don't know why they're uncomfortable having the president sit across the table from me, but I will go in good faith.»

The White House pushed back on Wednesday by pointing to Johnson's shifting positions on how to deal with foreign aid and border security, and his rejection of two Senate deals on these issues that gained bipartisan support.

«What is there to negotiate, truly?» White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce.

«What is the one-on-one negotiation about when he's been presented with exactly what he asked for?» Jean-Pierre continued. «So, he's negotiating with himself [and] he's killing bills on his own.»

Johnson's most recent meeting request was last week. Since the meeting at the White House with congressional leaders on Jan. 17, Johnson requested a one-on-one meeting on Jan. 22 and «multiple times» since, a source familiar the requests told ABC News.

All requests for a meeting between Biden and Johnson have been declined by the White House, according to the source.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., cast the rebuffs as proof of what Republicans say is