House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill With $14 Billion For Ukraine Aid—But No Covid Relief
Topline
With the federal government set to expire of funding in days, the Home on Wednesday handed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending invoice that may shore up funding for the remainder of the fiscal 12 months upon Senate approval, whereas additionally doling out money for Ukraine in its struggle towards Russia, extra pupil assist, cybersecurity and extra.
The U.S. Capitol constructing.
getty
Key Info
The huge spending package deal, which might acceptable funds for the federal government till September 30, handed the Home on Wednesday night in largely bipartisan votes of 361–69 for the protection portion of the invoice and 260–171 for non-defense spending.
Headlining the 2,741-page invoice, about $782 billion is allotted for navy spending underneath the Protection Division, whereas a further $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 numerous new provisions, together with a $400 enhance to the utmost Pell Grant award, and practically $7 billion to ascertain an company underneath 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 Towards Ladies Act, which expired in 1994 and supplied funds to assist prosecute violent crimes towards girls; 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 assessments, vaccines and coverings, was stripped from the invoice following last-minute disagreements over how you can fund the availability—a transfer Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) referred to as “heartbreaking” on Wednesday as she pledged “to struggle for urgently wanted Covid help” in separate laws slated for a vote subsequent week.
What To Watch For
The spending invoice now heads to the Senate, the place Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated he hopes to go the laws earlier than Friday, when funds have been beforehand set to expire. In case the higher chamber wants extra time, the Home unanimously handed a seamless decision Wednesday to increase stopgap funding for a further 4 days, till Tuesday. The measure would nonetheless must be accredited within the Senate to stop a authorities shutdown.
Key Background
Congress didn’t go a funds for the fiscal 12 months by the top of final September, forcing lawmakers to go a sequence of non permanent measures to keep away from a authorities shutdown. An omnibus mixed with a Covid reduction package deal was signed into legislation in late December 2020 and set present funding ranges for many federal packages, in line with the Committee for a Accountable Federal Finances. The newest persevering with decision was enacted in mid-February to fund the federal government till Friday, whereas lawmakers hammered out disagreements.
Additional Studying
Senate Passes Final-Minute Invoice To Forestall Authorities Shutdown (Forbes)
Full protection and stay updates on the Coronavirus
