On Thursday, US senators passed a massive yearly spending plan that includes $45 billion in aid for Ukraine and changes to election legislation to prevent a repeat of last year’s attack on the Capitol.
The House of Representatives must now approve the $1.7 trillion plan before Friday at midnight in order to keep the government running. A catastrophic holiday closure is not seen to be inevitable, though.
“The bill is so important to get done because it will be good for families, for veterans, our national security, even for the health of our democratic institutions,” Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
While bickering over the small print may keep them in Washington as a powerful winter storm threatens transport disruption, lawmakers in the House want to finalize the agreement — covering the fiscal year ending in September 2023 — before the end of the day.
It would be uncomfortable for the White House and Congress to fail to send the bill to Biden’s desk days after war-torn Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, was cordially welcomed in Washington and asked Democrats and Republicans to approve the $45 billion in Ukraine funding included in the budget.
But until the Republican-led 118th Congress convenes, it is not anticipated to experience a difficult ride in the lower chamber, where Democrats currently hold a small majority.
