The Senate moved ahead last night on the short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown later this week by a vote of 72-23. The bill would fund the government through December 16th, giving negotiators more time to work out their differences and agree on government spending for fiscal year 2023. Moments before a procedural vote Tuesday night, Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) asked to drop his provision on permit reform. The deal to accelerate the approval process for building new energy projects was key to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) securing the vote of Manchin for the sweeping climate, health-care and deficit-reduction law President Joe Biden signed in August.
The bill includes a package of aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces including $3 billion to provide military assistance, including training, equipment, weapons and logistics support, $1.5 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment provided to Ukraine or to foreign countries that have provided support and $2.8 billion for continued military, intelligence and other defense support. An additional $35 million will go to fund responses to “potential nuclear and radiological incidents” in Ukraine, and prevent that material from being stolen. Domestically, $1 billion will go to help support families struggling with the cost of heating their homes this year and offset the costs of extreme weather events. An additional $20 million will go to water infrastructure projects in Jackson, Mississippi whose 160,000 residents no longer have safe drinking water, which was declared an emergency in August by President Biden. The House returns today and is expected to vote on the bill with just hours to spare before the end of the fiscal year Friday.
The Senate reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and resumed consideration of the continuing resolution, which could pass as soon as today.
The House will reconvene at 12:00 P.M. and is expected to take up thirty-two bills under suspension of the Rules. The House will also consider the Rule Providing for Consideration of H.R. 7780 – Mental Health Matters Act, H.R. 3843 – Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 and S. 3969 – PAVA Program Inclusion Act.
