United States President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed a $1.7 trillion funding bill which will keep the country’s federal government operating till the end of their federal budget year in September 2023. The 4000-page bill includes record military spending, funding for students with disabilities, affordable housing for families, and so on.
The bill was due for the presidential signature by late Friday and was signed hours before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. where Biden is currently vacationing.
Today, I signed the bipartisan omnibus bill, ending a year of historic progress.
It’ll invest in medical research, safety, veteran health care, disaster recovery, VAWA funding – and gets crucial assistance to Ukraine.
Looking forward to more in 2023. pic.twitter.com/KTI1R9qMij
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2022
The legislation was passed in Congress last week with a Senate, bipartisan vote of 68-29, with the support of 18 of the 50 Senate Republicans. It was also passed in the Democrat-controlled House with Republican support 225-201, days before Christmas. At the time, Biden had said that this move shows that the two opposition parties can work together.
However, House Republican Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to become the Speaker when his party takes over and Congress opens on January 3, called the bill a “monstrosity that is one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in this body”, during the floor debate. Noting that the bill spends too much, but not enough to curb illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the US.
Notably, the bill accounts for record military spending and emergency aid to Ukraine (amid its conflict with Russia), additional aid and funding for students with disabilities and protecting workers’ rights which also includes more job-training resources, as well as affordable housing for families, veterans and those fleeing domestic violence.
The “bipartisan omnibus bill”, as the US president called it, also includes at least a six per cent increase for domestic initiatives to $772.5 billion while the spending on defence has increased by 10 per cent to $858 billion.
Lawmakers also provided nearly $45 billion for Ukraine and its NATO allies which was more than what Biden had asked for and a $40 billion emergency spending to help communities across the country as they recover from natural disasters, like drought, hurricanes, and so on.
Notably, the bill also includes an overhaul of the 19th-century Electoral Count Act which is seemingly a direct response to former US President Donald Trump’s bid to persuade Republican lawmakers and then Vice President Mike Pence to object to the certification of incumbent president Biden’s win after the elections had concluded.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
