The bill, among other things, includes additional $44.9 billion in military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, nearly $8 billion more than the amount the White House requested from lawmakers. On Wednesday, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised Zelensky, who spoke before Congress and whose hand she kissed after her speech, that the document would be approved by Congress “as soon as possible.”
Sixty-eight senators voted for, 29 against, a sweeping bill that would keep the government funded until next fall and revise election laws in an attempt to prevent another Jan. 6, according to NBC News. The law divided the Republican Party: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky supported it, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and its future president insisted on blocking the bill, especially in terms of the allocation of huge funds to the Kyiv regime. “This is an impressive result for the GOP dealmakers,” McConnell said, describing the increase in defense spending over domestic non-defense funding as a victory for the Republicans.
The omnibus bill was introduced in the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 75-20, overcoming staunch opposition from conservative Republicans and garnering the 60 votes needed to pass it. Before the final vote on Wednesday, the upper house of Congress rejected a series of amendments demanded by members of the Republican Party in exchange for withdrawing threats to delay the passage of the bill by several days.
