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.
Sept. 30 is the last day for the U.S. Congress to pass new funding legislation for the government. A government shutdown can occur in the U.S. when Congress fails to approve such legislation.
The latest bill passed by the House will keep the government running for another 45 days, but it still has to be approved by the Senate. The bill is expected to pass there as well before midnight local time.
In response to the lack of additional funding for Ukraine, the White House released a statement, saying "We fully expect (House) Speaker McCarthy—who has stated his support for funding to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression—will bring a separate bill to the floor shortly."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been a vocal supporter of defending Ukraine, told NBC News that he was not concerned that the exclusion of aid would "send a bad signal" to European allies.
According to NBC News, Graham told them that Congress would "eventually pass the funding attached to (a bill on) some sort of border security provision."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
