The US House of Representatives passed the annual spending package of $1.7 trillion, including $45 billion aid to Ukraine aid, for the year in a bid to avoid a partial government shutdown.
After having cleared both houses, the bill will now be headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signing into law.
“This bill is further proof that Republicans and Democrats can come together to deliver for the American people, and I’m looking forward to continued bipartisan progress in the year ahead,” Biden said in a statement.
Had the lower house, where the Democrats hold a slim majority, failed to approve the budget, it would have been a major embarrassment for the Biden administration, as a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House to argue for the $44.9 billion emergency military and economic aid, which is part of the legislation.
The bill gained 225 votes to 201 with the help of nine Republicans, while one Democrat —New York progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez —voted no.
The $1.7 trillion budget has been earmarked for fiscal year 2023, of which $772.5 billion has been allocated for non-defence and domestic programs, while $858 billion has provided for defence funding.
Apart from $45 billion emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies, it also includes $40 billion to respond to natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and flooding.
The other provisions of the bill include reform of the 1887 Electoral Count Act aimed at making it harder to overturn a certified presidential election, and the Secure Act 2.0 —a package aimed at making it easier to save for retirement, and a measure to ban TikTok from government devices.
