18 Republicans vote with Democrats in the Senate.
The US Congress passed the budget for the current fiscal year, approving a record amount for defense and more military aid to Ukraine. On Friday, the Chamber of Deputies, still controlled by the Democrats, voted a few hours before the deadline for the package with a volume of almost US$ 1.7 trillion (1.60 trillion euros).
The Senate passed the more than 4,000-page bill on Thursday with support from 18 Republicans. For their part, some Republicans in the House of Representatives sharply criticized the spending plans. Among other things, they demanded that the Europeans provide Ukraine with more funds. Republicans assume power in the House of Congress in January.
The budget project now needs to be signed off by President Joe Biden. The bill allocates $858 billion to the Defense Department – a record – after $740 billion last fiscal year. Another $44.9 billion in emergency aid is planned for Ukraine. Conservative Republican Representative Tim Burchett called the total budget a “$1.7 billion full of rubbish” that fails to take into account the costs it would impose on American citizens. Among them are “more than 45 billion for Ukraine, when Europe should really bear the burden of this expense”.
Due to a severe winter storm and the upcoming holidays, many lawmakers had already left Washington by the time of the vote. The debate therefore took place in front of a comparatively sparsely occupied chamber. Taking advantage of a procedural change introduced during the coronavirus pandemic, dozens of deputies voted virtually.
In the US, it has become the norm that Congress fails to pass the federal budget regularly and on time. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, and the new law guarantees funding for federal institutions through Sept. 30, 2023. Some Republicans, on the other hand, have spoken in advance of another transitional budget until early 2023, to then make cuts. significant with its control of the Chamber of Deputies to be able to do in the house. The Senate will continue to be controlled by Biden’s Democrats. The next parliamentary and presidential elections will take place in November 2024.
(APA/Portal)