3/11/22 - Senate Gives Final Approval to Ukraine Aid

Part of the U.S. budget bill will provide aid for Ukraine and its European allies as they deal with the invasion by Russia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A $13.6 billion emergency package of military and humanitarian aid for besieged Ukraine and its European allies easily won final congressional approval Thursday, hitching a ride on a government-wide spending bill that’s five months late but loaded with political prizes for both parties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has forced over 2 million Ukrainians to flee.  The Senate approved the overall $1.5 trillion overall legislation by a 68-31 bipartisan margin. Democrats and Republicans have battled over rising inflation, energy policy and lingering pandemic restrictions, but they’ve rallied behind sending aid to Ukraine. 

The House passed the compromise bill easily Wednesday. President Joe Biden’s signature was certain.

Around half the $13.6 billion measure was for arming and equipping Ukraine and the Pentagon’s costs for sending U.S. troops to other Eastern European nations skittish about the warfare next door. Much of the rest included humanitarian and economic assistance, strengthening regional allies’ defenses and protecting their energy supplies and cybersecurity needs.

Republicans strongly backed that spending. But they criticized Pres. Biden for moving too timidly, such as in the unresolved dispute with Poland over how that nation could give MiG fighter jets to Ukraine that its pilots know how to fly.

White House aides told Congress last month that Pres. Biden wanted $6.4 billion to counter Russia’s invasion. He ended up formally requesting $10 billion, an amount that it took an eager Congress just a few days to boost to its final figure of $13.6 billion.

The $1.5 trillion bill carrying that aid gave Democrats a near 7% increase for domestic initiatives, which constituted a bit less than half the package. That translated to beefed-up spending for schools, housing, child care, renewable energy, biomedical research, law enforcement grants to communities and feeding programs.

The measure also specifically directs money to minority communities and historically black colleges, renews efforts aimed at preventing domestic violence against women and requires infrastructure operators to report serious hacking incidents to federal authorities.

Republicans lay claim to an almost 6% boost for defense, including money for 85 advanced F-35 fighter planes, 13 new Navy ships, upgrades for 90 Abrams tanks, a pay raise for troops and improvements for schools on military bases. There would be another $300 million for Ukraine and $300 million for other Eastern European allies on top of the measure’s emergency funding.

The GOP also prevailed in retaining decades-old restrictions against using federal money to pay for nearly all abortions. And they forced Pres. Biden to abandon goals for his 2022 budget that envisioned 16% domestic program increases and defense growth of less than 2%.

Government agencies have operated under last year’s lower spending levels since the new fiscal year began Oct. 1 because,  Congress hadn’t approved any bills by then updating those amounts.