Congress Unveils Stop-Gap Spending Bill with $12+ Billion in Ukraine Aid

Congressional appropriators released a stop-gap bill Monday night that would fund the government through mid-December, specifically earmarking $12.3 billion in aid for Ukraine and $3 billion for Afghan resettlement programs.

The short-term spending bill, otherwise known as a continuing resolution (CR), would fund the government until December 16. This would give Congress more time to hash out a longer-term deal to continue funding the government.

The federal government will face a shutdown if Congress fails to pass the CR by the end of Friday.

Along with funding the government at similar spending levels, the CR would provide:

• $12.3 billion in economic and military aid to Ukraine
• $1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)
• $2.5 billion in funding for New Mexico to recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire
• $20 million for water infrastructure in Jackson, Mississippi
• a five-year reauthorization of FDA user fees
• $3 billion for the State Department to facilitate Afghan resettlement, and the FBI would receive $15 million to vet Afghan refugees
• $35 million to prepare and respond to “potential and radiological incidents in Ukraine”

The CR also includes Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) Energy Independence and Security Act, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) promised he would include as part of Manchin’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act.

If passed, the legislation would dramatically reduce the time needed for the federal government to do environmental reviews.

However, Manchin’s legislation may face significant hurdles as both Republicans and Democrats oppose his legislation. Republicans prefer Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-WV) alternative bill, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other leftists worry about the environmental implications of the bill.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday night, “We have made significant progress toward a Continuing Resolution that is as clean as possible. But, if the Democrats insist on including permitting reform, I will oppose it.”

The Senate will hold a cloture vote on Tuesday night to advance the legislative vehicle for the CR. If the vote fails, then it remains possible that Congress could pass an even shorter “bridge” funding bill to give Congress more time to resolve lawmakers’ differences about the bill.