US Senate hastily passes $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill
The bill is to fund the US government in the fiscal year 2023 and was signed one day before the government partial shut down.
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The Senate side of the Capitol is seen in Washington, early Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, as lawmakers rush to complete passage of a bill to fund the government before a midnight Friday deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Ahead of the holiday break, US Senate hastily passes the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill on Thursday to fund the fiscal year 2023, one day before the government was heading towards a partial shutdown.
The package includes $858 billion in defense expenditures as well as $44.9 billion to continue to support the war in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the bill entailed $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion for Veterans Affairs medical care, a 22% increase, and $40.6 billion to assist US communities affected by recent environmental hazards such as hurricanes and floods.
Read more: GOP must choose battles carefully to avoid army budget menace: WSJ
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated earlier that the vote took place on Thursday before Friday's deadline to avert the federal government's partial shutdown, where Biden is expected to sign off the budget on Friday by midnight at the latest.
The bill's text, which spans 4,155 pages and included expenditures until the end of the fiscal year of 2023, was released by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.
The budget bill was passed in a majority vote 68-29 and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
US legislators unveiled the text of the $1.7 trillion spending measure early Tuesday.
The US Senate on Thursday approved an amendment from Sen. Lindsey Graham to the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that would allow seized Russian assets to be transferred to Ukraine.
Last week, on December 17, and in order to give politicians time to negotiate a broader agreement, the US Senate approved a stopgap spending bill, which was later signed by the US President, in order to avert a complete government shutdown.
However, some Republicans such as Kevin McCarthy expressed opposition to the deal, with lawmakers arguing that Congress, instead, should pass a short-term resolution that temporarily funds the government until the new Congress - which will assume office on January 3 - can draft a comprehensive budget. Republicans will be holding the House majority then.
