The Senate voted on Thursday to fund the government through the end of the year.
Emergency aid for natural disasters, heating and utility assistance, and an additional $12 billion in aid for Ukraine are included in the bill. The user fees for the FDA were reauthorized for another five years. Before the federal budget runs out on Friday, President Joe Biden is expected to sign it.
Lawmakers deliberated on a spending bill for the second time this year. The continuing resolution will keep the government going if it passes the House.
A provision that sped up the federal permit process for big energy projects was held up by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V. The bill language was struck on the Senate floor.
Schumer said that Senate Republicans will block legislation to fund the government if it includes bipartisan permitting reform because they have chosen to obstruct instead of work in a bipartisan way to achieve something they have always claimed they wanted to do.
It was unfortunate that members of the United States Senate were allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk.
Manchin requested to move forward with the spending bill without his energy independence and security act.
The best way to ensure responsible permitting reform is passed before the end of the year will be discussed by Schumer, Manchin and others.
McConnell said the permitting reform proposal was a poison pill.
The $12 billion in aid for Ukraine comes at a time when the military is making gains against Russian forces. The new spending resolution was not attached to the bill.
FEMA's disaster relief fund was given $18.8 billion because of increasingly intense natural disasters like Hurricane Ian which devastated Florida.
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