US President Joe Biden, center, signs HR 2471, “Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022”, at the Indian House of Commons in the White House, Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Samuel Corum Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a $ 1.5 trillion bill that would fund federal operations until September and send billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine as the country fights the Russian invasion.
Washington had to approve a spending plan by the end of the day to prevent a government shutdown.
The bill includes $ 13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, which is part of a broader U.S. effort to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses, hamper the Russian economy and support civilians displaced by the war. The money will finance defense military equipment and training, as well as aid for Ukrainian refugees both in the country and in neighboring countries.
“We continue to increase support for the brave people of Ukraine while defending their country,” Biden said on Tuesday before signing the bill. He added that the United States would be “better positioned to meet the rapidly growing humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people.”
Biden signed the bill shortly after the White House announced it would travel to Brussels this month for an emergency summit on Russia’s attack on Ukraine. He also approved funding hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned address to the US Congress on Wednesday morning.
Although the bill includes critical funding for US efforts in Ukraine, it also eliminates some risks in the US for now. The federal government will avoid a shutdown that could hurt the economy and leave many federal employees temporarily out of work.
The bill provides enough money to cover federal spending until the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, after Congress passed a number of suspension plans to keep the lights on in recent months.
Lawmakers will have to approve another funding bill later this year as snap elections approach.
Funding legislation does not include $ 15.6 billion in additional coronavirus aid that was originally included in the plan. The White House has warned that its efforts to limit and treat infections will suffer if Congress does not approve more aid.
While the Democrat-run House could donate more money to alleviate the pandemic, Senate Republicans could block it from reaching Biden’s bureau.
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