Biden holds first Cabinet meeting in nearly a year, first lady joins for first time

President Biden convened his Cabinet for the first time in nearly a year on Friday, this time with First Lady Jill Biden in attendance.

It was the first Cabinet meeting since Oct. 2, 2023. Jill Biden spoke about the White House’s work on women’s health research before answering the president’s question about rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

“We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been trying to do from the beginning, which is to make it safe for the people of northern Israel and southern Lebanon to return to their homes,” Biden said. “The secretary of state, the secretary of defense, our entire team, working with the intelligence community, is working to make that happen. And we’re going to keep working until we get there. But we’ve got a long way to go.”

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Asked about the possibility of an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, Biden said: “If I say ‘unrealistic,’ I would say we’d be better off withdrawing.”

“A lot of things aren’t real until you try them. We have to keep trying,” Biden said.

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First Lady Jill Biden, third from left, speaks at a Cabinet meeting on Friday. (AP/Manuel Balce Senator)

During the meeting, Biden also stressed the need for Congress to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government.

President Biden last held a Cabinet meeting in October 2023. (AP/Manuel Balce Senator)

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At the last Cabinet meeting in October 2023, Biden said he convened the meeting “to receive an update on progress on our nation’s urgent priorities,” specifically “the promises and perils of artificial intelligence” and “countering gun violence.”