President Joe Biden signed a bill on Tuesday that funds federal operations through September and sends billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine as the country fights off a Russian invasion.
Washington had to approve a spending plan by the end of the day.
The bill includes $13.6 billion for assistance to Ukraine, which is part of a broader U.S. effort to bolster Ukrainian defense, hamper Russia's economy and support civilians displaced by the war. The money will be used for defensive military equipment and training, along with aid for Ukrainian refugees in neighboring nations.
Biden said before he signed the bill that they were moving further to bolster support for the brave people of Ukraine. He said that the U.S. will be better positioned to provide for the needs of the Ukrainian people.
The bill was signed by Biden shortly after the White House announced that he would travel to Brussels this month for an extraordinary summit about Russia's attack on Ukraine. The funding was approved hours before Zelenskyy was to address Congress.
Critical funding for U.S. efforts in Ukraine is included in the bill. Many federal employees will be out of work for a short time if the federal government shuts down.
Congress passed several stopgap plans to keep the lights on in recent months, but the bill provides enough money to cover federal spending through the end of the fiscal year.
The funding bill will have to be approved later this year.
The funding legislation didn't include supplemental coronaviruses relief that was tucked into the plan. If Congress doesn't approve more aid, the White House will suffer.
Senate Republicans may block it from getting to Biden's desk, because the House could pass more relief money.
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