U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law averting a government shutdown that was set for midnight, according to the White House. The law will keep the government open for the next 47 days.

Biden said that although the bill does not include financial assistance for Ukraine, he expects Speaker Kevin McCarthy "will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment."

"We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted," Biden concluded in a statement.

Since January 2021, the U.S. has invested more than $44.5 billion in security assistance to  to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This includes more than $43.9 billion since Russia’s launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Following a passage of a bill to avoid a government shutdown, top U.S. Senate leaders issued a rare bipartisan statement affirming their commitment to Ukraine.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and representatives of the appropriations committees said they expect the Senate will work "to ensure the U.S. government continues to provide critical and sustained security and economic support for Ukraine."

US House of Representatives passes funding bill to avoid government shutdown

NBC News reported on Sept. 30 that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan funding bill to avoid a government shutdown but that the deal currently lacks additional defense aid for Ukraine.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk