WASHINGTON — Congress handed a serious spending invoice on Thursday that features $13.6 billion in emergency help for Ukraine because it battles Russia’s invasion.
President Biden was anticipated to shortly signal the $1.5 trillion invoice, the primary main spending laws handed by Congress throughout his administration, which incorporates substantial will increase for home and nationwide safety applications.
The Senate authorised the package deal by a vote of 68 to 31 on Thursday evening, lower than two days after it was finalized and pushed by the Home. That speedy timetable mirrored robust bipartisan help for aiding Ukraine, in addition to a way of urgency to avert a authorities shutdown in Washington.
The emergency funds for Ukraine are evenly cut up between army and humanitarian help. They embody $6.5 billion to the Pentagon to cowl the prices of deploying American troops to allies in Jap Europe and offering Ukrainian forces with intelligence help, in addition to to backfill weapons the USA has already despatched to the federal government in Kyiv.
The invoice devotes $2.65 billion to the USA Company for Worldwide Improvement to offer emergency meals help and well being care to Ukrainians and different affected individuals within the area. It additionally consists of practically $120 million for the Justice and Treasury Departments to prosecute those that violate new sanctions and export management measures imposed by the USA to attempt to squeeze the Russian financial system.
Lawmakers in each events have been keen to assist arm the Ukrainian army, and that urge for food solely grew after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, met with members of Congress final weekend and pleaded for added jets and weapons.