Biden APOLOGIZED to the Walorski family for his 'Where's Jackie' gaffe during private White House meeting - after her mother told him 'she's in heaven with Jesus'

• Biden apologized to late Rep. Jackie Walorski's family at the Oval Office Friday following his gaffe questioning where the deceased lawmaker was located 
• Walorski's mother Martha told Biden: 'We can tell you where Jackie is. She's in heaven with Jesus,' according to the account of events from her son Keith
• Cameras were banned from the roughly 30-minute conversation that included a bill signing renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after Walorski 
•  President Biden asked a crowd at a hunger conference Wednesday to point out Walorski - almost two months after she was killed in a car crash in Indiana

Joe Biden apologized in the Oval Office Friday to deceased Indiana Representative Jackie Walorski's family as they met the president just days after he apparently forgot the congresswoman was dead.

The late representative's mother Martha 'Mert' Walorski, 83, told Biden, 79, that her daughter is 'in heaven' at a bill signing where he banned cameras, Rep. Walorski's brother Keith told the New York Post.

Walorski's widower Dean Swihart was also at the White House bill signing on Friday where the family privately met with the president.

The meeting follows Biden's infamous gaffe last week where during a speech he asked 'Where's Jackie?' even though she died a month prior.

'Well, Mr. President, we can tell you where Jackie is. She's in heaven with Jesus,' Martha Walorski told Biden on Friday, according to the account of events from her son.

'He could only agree,' Keith said of Biden's reaction. 'He's a very Catholic person. He's very strong in his Catholicism. So all he could do is say, 'Yes, you're right. I know.''

Biden was on clean-up duty with the family on Friday. He welcomed Martha to sit in his chair at the Resolute Desk for a photo op and took the family on a tour of the West Wing – to include his private dining room and the outdoor swimming pool, which is rarely seen.

During an event on hunger and food insecurity on Wednesday, the president thanked lawmakers for their work on a plan to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030, when he suddenly tried to locate Walorski.

'Jackie, are you here?' Biden said, interrupting his own remarks.

'Where's Jackie? She must not be here,' Biden concluded.

The White House soon after engaged in a confusing and nonsensical explanation for why the president was looking for the late representative, as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly claimed that the president did not forget that Walorski was dead. 

She insisted that it's 'not unusual' for people to say the names of deceased individuals when they are 'at top of mind,' a phrase she continued to repeat throughout her briefing Wednesday during questions from multiple outlets including CNN, CBS and The Washington Post.

Jean-Pierre said Walorski was at the forefront of the president's mind because she helped with the hunger plan and the fact he was meeting with her family on Friday for a bill signing.

Biden's communications team banned photographers and reporters from attending the bill signing with the Walorski family just two days after the gaffe.

'As you all know, we don't put every bill signing on the schedule,' Jean-Pierre told reporters.

'As you could imagine, this is a personal moment that the president was doing,' she continued.

'Like I mentioned in the briefing a couple of days ago, the president has been looking forward to hosting the late representatives' family and other lawmakers to honor her legacy.'

Biden apologized to the family during a roughly half-hour conversation last week.

He then welcomed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers into to the Oval Office where he signed the bill renaming an Indiana Veterans Affairs clinic in Walorksi's honor.

Walorski was one of four people who died in a head-on collision in early August in her home state.

Two of her staffers and the driver of the other vehicle were also killed in the crash.

Following the crash, Biden released a statement on Walorski and ordered flags be lowered to half mast.

Jackie's brother Keith said ahead of the White House visit that he was not angry at Biden for the gaffe, adding that he spoke with the president following the deadly crash last month.

He said, rather, that he pitied the president - claiming that Biden is 'doing the best he can do with what he's got right now and the latest gaffe is 'par for the course.'

Keith did acknowledge that 'a nice way of putting it' is that Biden is forgetful due to his age.

'I don't think anybody would look at the things that he's done and said and say that his mind is as sharp as it used to be,' he added.