The spending bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where it needs to be passed before a Friday midnight deadline.
The US Senate has passed a $1.7 trillion (£1.4 trillion) government funding bill – most likely averting a partial government shutdown over the holiday season.
It now needs to be passed by the House of Representatives so that President Joe Biden can sign it before midnight on Friday.
The package will fund the US government throughout the next fiscal year, until September 30.
The 4,155-page budget contains measures to help Ukraine, strengthen US defense and funds for US domestic priorities.
The Senate passed the bill Thursday afternoon by a 68-29 vote in a cross-party vote.
The big package includes $772 billion for domestic programs and $858 billion for defense. It includes nearly $45 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine and about $38 billion for regions recovering from natural disasters.
Changes to retirement and health care programs for low-income Americans are also included in the bill.
Here are some other ways the government plans to spend tax dollars in the coming year, along with specific provisions added to the omnibus bill.
Support for Ukraine: $45 billion for Ukraine includes funding for humanitarian and military aid, as well as for NATO allies.
Election Counting Act Reforms: Included in the spending package are changes to the Election Counting Act in response to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. This would clarify the role of the US Vice President in counting and certifying Electoral College votes. Former President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that his vice president has the power to reverse their defeat in the 2020 election.
TikTok restrictions: The bill includes a plan to ban downloads of the app — owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance — on state-owned phones and other digital devices due to national security concerns.
Medicaid: The bill scraps a Covid-era provision that eased eligibility restrictions for Medicaid — which provides health care to low-income Americans. Millions of people could now face losing their health insurance in the spring.
Lobster rules: A provision in the package delays for six years new lobster fishing rules aimed at protecting the endangered right whale from entanglement in fishing gear.
FBI headquarters: A long-running battle between the states of Maryland and Virginia over where to move the current headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – currently in Washington DC – has ended with text in the bill allowing further consultation on future locations.
Salary increase for soldiers: 4.6% salary increase for members of the military.
Capitol Police Support: The Congressional Police Service will receive a $132 million boost, bringing its total budget to $734.5 million.
Security for senators: US lawmakers have faced increasing threats in recent years, and $2.5 million has been approved to improve security at senators’ residences.
College students: Congress plans to increase the maximum Pell Grant award — annual funding for low-income students — by $500 to $7,395.
Child care: There is a 30% increase in funding – to $8 billion – for child care and development, which helps low-income families pay for child care.
Environmental Protection: The Environmental Protection Agency received a $576 million increase over its budget last year.
Several Republican lawmakers expressed frustration at the size of the package and that they were being asked to vote on the massive bill on short notice, giving them no time to read it.
It is expected to be the last major piece of legislation of the current session of Congress before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in January after the midterm elections in November.
Last week, the Senate passed a temporary federal spending bill that gave lawmakers extra time to negotiate a broader package, extending the original funding deadline from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23.
On Tuesday morning, House and Republican negotiators unveiled the months-in-the-making package.
The “omnibus spending budget” raised about $1.5 trillion in funding last fiscal year.
A shutdown occurs when parts of the government shut down because politicians can’t agree on a budget. The political game of fringes has become a hallmark of American politics in recent decades.
Under the US system, the various branches of government must agree on spending plans before they can become law.
