The House of Representatives passed the federal government funding bill

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to fund the federal government, averting a partial shutdown, less than six weeks before US midterm elections where control of Congress is at stake.

With government funding for federal agencies set to expire at midnight, lawmakers sent the bill to the White House, where President Biden signed it.

The bill, which includes an additional $12.3 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders, was approved by the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support. In the House of Representatives, it passed by a vote of 226 to 200, with 10 Republicans siding with Democrats.

Without House approval, government agencies today would be forced to partially suspend operations due to a lack of funding – a scenario that is becoming increasingly common in the US at a time of acute polarization in which Democrats and Republicans are fighting bitterly. for budget allocation.

In addition to financial aid to Ukraine to fund government services, the bill authorizes President Biden to draw up to $3.7 billion to send to Kyiv surplus US weapons systems. In addition, amid reports of Russian forces threatening the security of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hints at the possible use of nuclear weapons, $35 million is earmarked “for preparing for and responding to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine ».

The US Congress has resorted to last-minute funding approval in 43 of the last 46 years. The last time Congress allowed funding for the federal government to lapse was in December 2018, when Democrats strongly opposed then-President Donald Trump’s plans for a wall on the US-Mexico border, leading to a 35-day impasse.

RES-EMP

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