Johnson ready to formally invite Netanyahu to address Congress, waiting on Schumer to sign on

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Wednesday that he's ready to move forward with formally inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress but he's waiting on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to sign on.

In March, Schumer called for new elections in Israel and described Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace, raising speculation that he would not agree to have Netanyahu speak.

"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," Schumer said on Tuesday of the invitation.

On Wednesday, Johnson told reporters that his team and Schumer's staff have been in contact about the matter and it “seems as though he wants to sign on." Johnson said he expects it to "happen today or as quickly as possible.”

On Tuesday, Johnson said he would "invite Netanyahu just to the House" if Schumer doesn't sign on to the invitation.

Netanyahu recently met in Israel with allies of former President Trump's 2024 campaign in the wake of the International Criminal Court's effort to issue him an arrest warrant.