The US Congress approved temporary government funding until March

The US House of Representatives has approved a short-term funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. This will give lawmakers an opportunity to negotiate an agreement on aid to Ukraine.

This is reported by the Financial Times.

The draft law was supported by a majority of votes: 314 for, 108 against (including 106 Republicans and two Democrats). It has now been forwarded to President Joe Biden for signature. The document would allow government spending to continue at current levels for some federal agencies until March 1, and for others until March 8. This happened thanks to a new two-stage resolution.

If Congress did not vote in favor of this decision, a partial shutdown could occur — the suspension of the work of certain federal agencies. This is already the third approved draft law on temporary financing.

Congressional leaders announced last week that they would agree to a permanent budget, but administrators need more time to agree on details in each funding bill. This is important for Ukraine because, after the budget issues, Congress has to deal with the additional request of the White House for $106 billion, which includes money for financial and military assistance to Ukraine.

• On October 20, 2023, US President Joe Biden submitted a request to Congress for additional funding in the amount of approximately $106 billion. It, in particular, provided for aid to Ukraine ($61.4 billion, the largest package) and Israel ($14.3 billion), which was attacked by militants of the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, as well as providing funds for the security of the southern border of the United States.
• On November 15, the House of Representatives passed a temporary bill to avoid a shutdown. On the same day, the document without funding from Ukraine and Israel was approved by the US Senate, and on November 16, Biden signed it.
• On December 6, the bill did not pass a procedural vote in the US Senate. The document has been blocked because Republicans have pushed for tougher immigration controls at the US-Mexico border. Biden called the Republicansʼ refusal to support the bill "political blackmail," noting that "the stakes are too high and the consequences are too significant."