Biden Signs $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill With $14 Billion For Ukraine Aid—Here’s What’s In It
Topline
After months of negotiations to fund the federal government, President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending invoice that may shore up funding for the remainder of the fiscal yr, whereas additionally doling out money for Ukraine in its battle towards Russia, extra scholar assist, cybersecurity and extra.
President Joe Biden indicators the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Yr 2022 within the White … [+]
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Key Details
President Joe Biden signed the large spending bundle, which handed the Home and Senate final week in largely bipartisan votes, on Tuesday afternoon, appropriating funds for the federal government till September 30.
Headlining the 2,741-page invoice, about $782 billion is allotted for navy spending below the Protection Division, whereas an extra $125 billion has been allotted to the Division of Veterans Affairs.
Along with funding day-to-day authorities operations, the invoice appropriates about $13.6 billion in emergency assist for Ukraine because it fights off a Russian invasion, with $4 billion to assist displaced refugees, $6.5 billion for navy help and $1.8 billion for any macroeconomic wants, according to the Home Committee on Appropriations.
It additionally grants company requests for quite a few new provisions, together with a $400 enhance to the utmost Pell Grant award, and almost $7 billion to ascertain an company below the Nationwide Institutes of Well being tasked with constructing “high-risk, high-reward” applied sciences for illness analysis.
Amongst different provisions are the reauthorization of the Violence In opposition to Girls Act, which expired in 1994 and offered funds to assist prosecute violent crimes towards ladies; a measure to present the Meals and Drug Administration regulatory authority over artificial nicotine; and cybersecurity protections to assist curb the chance of infrastructure assaults.
What did not make the minimize? About $16 billion for Covid reduction, together with exams, vaccines and coverings, was stripped from the invoice following last-minute disagreements over how one can fund the supply—a transfer Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) referred to as “heartbreaking” on Wednesday as she pledged “to battle for urgently wanted Covid help” in separate laws slated for a vote as early as subsequent week.
Key Background
Congress didn’t move a price range for the fiscal yr by the tip of final September, forcing lawmakers to move a collection of non permanent measures to keep away from a authorities shutdown. An omnibus mixed with a Covid reduction bundle was signed into legislation in late December 2020 and set present funding ranges for many federal applications, in accordance with the Committee for a Accountable Federal Funds. The most recent persevering with resolutions have been enacted in mid-February to fund the federal government till mid-March, whereas lawmakers hammered out disagreements, and once more final Thursday to purchase time for the invoice to make it to Biden’s desk.
Essential Quote
“The bipartisan funding invoice proves as soon as extra that members of each events can come collectively to ship outcomes for the American folks,” White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki mentioned in an announcement late Thursday evening. “It should scale back prices for households and companies, assist our financial restoration, and advance American management overseas.”
Additional Studying
Senate Passes Final-Minute Invoice To Stop Authorities Shutdown (Forbes)
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