Good morning. Good morning.
Good morning, guys.
Morning, Karoline.
Happy Monday.
Happy Monday.
Happy Monday. I have a meeting in three minutes at 8:45, but I'm just here. I'm here to say it's a very busy day here. That's why you're all here early. Of course, we have Prime Minister Netanyahu coming in just a few hours. As you know, the president has been working tirelessly on this effort to bring this war in Gaza and to bring this conflict in the Middle East to an end.
He wants to see all of the hostages released. And Ambassador Witkoff -- Special Envoy Witkoff sent a very detailed 21 point plan to both sides, and the president expects -- expects both sides to agree. So, there will be a press conference later. You can ask your questions of both the president and the prime minister at that.
And then later, of course, we have Congressional leadership here. Our message and what we want out of this is very simple. The president wants to keep the government open. He wants to keep the government funded. There is zero good reason for Democrats to vote against this clean continuing resolution. They've voted for this exact same bill 13 times in the past.
We want to keep the funding for our military, for our veterans, for our women and our children in this country continuing. We want the government to stay open. The president is giving Democrats one last chance to be reasonable today.
Is the president -- Your response to the force -- [Inaudible] to negotiate with Democrats?
Look, there is nothing to negotiate when you have a clean CR. Look, there are, of course, important policy discussions that can be had, but we are nearing a government shutdown and we are nearing a funding deadline and the president wants to make this deadline. He wants to keep the government open.
Your response [Inaudible] last year -- Karoline, there is a press conference today with the Israeli prime minister. It signals, I think, that he's expecting there to be a deal announced, or at least that Netanyahu's going to accept the proposed plan. Is that the hope that the president has today?
Look, the president knows and believes that this is as good of a plan as these sides are going to see, and that's why it's 21 points. It's very detailed. It's comprehensive. The president has been working tirelessly on this. He speaks to, you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu all of the time, of course. He's in constant correspondence.
But he's also taken a lot of time to speak with our Arab partners and allies in the Middle East. He met with them at UNGA in New York City last week to hear them out. We've obviously had direct and indirect conversations with Hamas as well. And ultimately, the president knows, when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy.
But we need this conflict to end. The president's made that very clear.
But is he expecting --
He wants to see the killing stop.
Is the expectation, though, that the Israeli prime minister is going to sign it today or -- or agree to it?
The president believes strongly in this plan. And he wants this to be the plan and he wants this war to come to an end.
Your response, is this more than last year? Will there be layoffs?
There won't be if Democrats vote to keep the government open.
Thank you. Thanks, Karoline.
Gotta go.