2023-10-01 12:20:00
Biden reiterates support for Ukraine as US narrowly avoids government shutdown
US President Joe Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine as the US narrowly avoided a government shutdown on Saturday.
Biden urged Congress to approve separate funding for assistance to Ukraine in the war once morest Russia, following a stopgap funding measure eliminated aid to the war-torn country.
“While the president and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine, there is no new funding in this agreement to continue that support. We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” he stated.
Biden also praised bipartisan efforts to keep the government open and funded through November, but added that the last-minute fight by House Republicans was a “manufactured crisis” that might have been avoided months ago.
A government shutdown was averted following Congress approved a stopgap funding measure ahead of the critical midnight deadline on a whirlwind day at the Capitol.
President Joe Biden signed the bill this Saturday night.
The interim bill originally included funding for Ukraine to help Kyiv fight Russia’s large-scale invasion, but the funds were withdrawn following some conservatives raised objections during negotiations.
Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet briefly halted voting on the bill following objecting to concerns regarding the bill’s lack of funding. Bipartisan members of the Senate leadership issued a joint statement committing to voting on increased funding for Ukraine aid “in the coming weeks.”
House Democratic leaders said in a statement that they expect McCarthy to introduce a separate Ukraine aid bill for a vote when the House returns.
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