US Senate passes $1.7 trillion government funding bill

The United States Senate has reached a last-minute deal just before Christmas to keep the government funded through the next fiscal year.

According to Press TV, the chamber passed the $1.7 trillion government funding bill on Thursday in a 68-29 vote getting one step closer to averting a shutdown late Friday night.

Eighteen Republicans joined Democrats in approving the bill that would keep federal agencies operational through Sept. 30, 2023.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a news conference after the vote, said it took "a lot of hard work, a lot of compromise, but we funded the government with an aggressive investment in American families, American workers, American national defense."

"It is one of the most significant appropriations packages we've done in a really long time," Schumer said.

The legislation will now go to the US House of Representatives on Friday for approval before making its way to President Joe Biden's office for his John Hancock to make the bill into law.

The legislation includes $772.5 billion for nondefense discretionary programs and $858 billion in defense funding, according to a bill summary from Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

The sweeping package includes roughly $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies, boosts in spending for disaster aid, college access, child care, mental health and food assistance, more support for the military and veterans and additional funds for the US Capitol Police, according to Leahy’s summary and one from Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee. It also includes several major Medicaid provisions, including one that could disenroll up to 19 million people from the nation’s health insurance program for low-income Americans.

ME