Senate passes bill to avert shutdown, extend $14 billion in Ukraine aid

[Imallin4Joe]

Source: WaPo

Congressional Democrats and Republicans took the final step Thursday night to approve roughly $14 billion in humanitarian, military and economic assistance to Ukraine, part of a sweeping spending package that funds the federal government and staves off a looming shutdown that would have occurred at the end of the week.

The overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate vote now sends the measure to President Biden for his signature, capping off a fierce, urgent push in the nation’s capital to respond to the geopolitical unrest roiling Europe as a result of Russia’s invasion.

The aid includes money to shore up Ukraine and its defenses, including investments meant to help protect against cyberattacks and bolster regional allies against any further Kremlin-led aggression. It also features new support for federal programs that allow the U.S. government to respond to food insecurity, assist in refugee resettlement and address other humanitarian needs.

And the emergency package further empowers Washington to enforce the significant, crippling sanctions it has levied on Russia and its political elite in recent weeks. The money underscores a broader, global strategy to maximize economic pressure on the country and its leader, President Vladimir Putin, in a bid to force him to rethink the war.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-passes-bill-to-avert-shutdown-extend-dollar14-billion-in-ukraine-aid/ar-AAUUwpn?li=BBnb7Kz

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Sen Chuck Schumer and Sen Leahy led the charge!!

Flex it, young men!!

Way to go. Averting a govt shutdown.

Vs. Rethugs, nowadays, that is an accomplishment.

This is why we need to protect Democratic Party majorities.

The Senate, House and USSC.

Democrats keep this country running!

[ColinC]

1. My question is: what is Ukraine going to get exactly?

Will we know this?

[BumRushDaShow]

5. It's in the text of the legislation

Since this is an "Omnibus" bill (rather than each Department having separate/standalone appropriations), most of the appropriations for the Executive Branch Departments were rolled under this 2700+ page bill - https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2471/text

Here are just a tiny number of examples.

Under DOD's budget lines -

Sec. 8139. Of the amounts appropriated in this Act under the
heading ``Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide'', for the Defense
Security Cooperation Agency, $300,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2023, shall be for the Ukraine Security Assistance
Initiative: Provided, That such funds shall be available to the
Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State,
to provide assistance, including training; equipment; lethal
assistance; logistics support, supplies and services; salaries and
stipends; sustainment; and intelligence support to the military and
national security forces of Ukraine, and to other forces or groups
recognized by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine,
including governmental entities within Ukraine, engaged in resisting
Russian aggression against Ukraine, for replacement of any weapons or
articles provided to the Government of Ukraine from the inventory of
the United States, and to recover or dispose of equipment procured
using funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts:
Provided further, That such funds may be obligated and expended
notwithstanding section 1250 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92): Provided further, That the
Secretary of Defense shall, not less than 15 days prior to obligating
funds made available in this section (or if the Secretary of Defense
determines, on a case-by-case basis, that extraordinary circumstances
exist that impact the national security of the United States, as far in
advance as is practicable) notify the congressional defense committees
in writing of the details of any such obligation: Provided further,
That the Secretary of Defense shall, not more than 60 days after such
notification is made, inform such committees if such funds have not
been obligated and the reasons therefor: Provided further, That the
Secretary of Defense shall consult with such committees in advance of
the provision of support provided to other forces or groups recognized
by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine: Provided
further, That the United States may accept equipment procured using
funds made available in this section in this or prior Acts transferred
to the security forces of Ukraine and returned by such forces to the
United States: Provided further, That equipment procured using funds
made available in this section in this or prior Acts, and not yet
transferred to the military or national security forces of Ukraine or
to other assisted entities, or returned by such forces or other
assisted entities to the United States, may be treated as stocks of the
Department of Defense upon written notification to the congressional
defense committees: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense
shall provide quarterly reports to the congressional defense committees
on the use and status of funds made available in this section.


Sec. 8140. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this or any other Act may be used by the Secretary of
Defense, or any other official or officer of the Department of Defense,
to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative
agreement with, or make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee
to Rosoboronexport or any subsidiary of Rosoboronexport.

(b) The Secretary of Defense may waive the limitation in subsection
(a) if the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State and
the Director of National Intelligence, determines that it is in the
vital national security interest of the United States to do so, and
certifies in writing to the congressional defense committees that--

(1) Rosoboronexport has ceased the transfer of lethal
military equipment to, and the maintenance of existing lethal
military equipment for, the Government of the Syrian Arab
Republic;

(2) the armed forces of the Russian Federation have
withdrawn from Crimea, other than armed forces present on
military bases subject to agreements in force between the
Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of
Ukraine; and

(3) agents of the Russian Federation have ceased taking
active measures to destabilize the control of the Government of
Ukraine over eastern Ukraine.

(c) The Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall
conduct a review of any action involving Rosoboronexport with respect
to a waiver issued by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsection
(b), and not later than 90 days after the date on which such a waiver
is issued by the Secretary of Defense, the Inspector General shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing the
results of the review conducted with respect to such waiver.

Sec. 8141. None of the funds made available by this Act may be
used to provide arms, training, or other assistance to the Azov
Battalion.

Sec. 8142. In addition to amounts provided elsewhere in this Act,
there is appropriated $1,000,000,000, for an additional amount for
``Procurement, Defense-Wide'', to remain available until September 30,
2024, which shall be for the Secretary of Defense to provide to the
Government of Israel for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense
system to counter short-range rocket threats: Provided, That such
funds shall be transferred pursuant to an exchange of letters and are
in addition to funds provided pursuant to the U.S.-Israel Iron Dome
Procurement Agreement, as amended: Provided further, That nothing in
the preceding proviso shall be construed to apply to appropriations in
this or prior Acts for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system.

Sec. 8143. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used in contravention of the First
Amendment of the Constitution.

Sec. 8144. None of the funds appropriated or made available in
this Act shall be used to support any activity conducted by, or
associated with, the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Another example - for USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

(snip)

BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE

Funds Appropriated to the President

international disaster assistance

For an additional amount for ``International Disaster Assistance'',
$2,650,000,000, to remain available until expended, to respond to
humanitarian needs in Ukraine and in countries impacted by the
situation in Ukraine, including the provision of emergency food and
shelter, and for assistance for other vulnerable populations and
communities.

Another example - under the Department of State -

Department of State

migration and refugee assistance

For an additional amount for ``Migration and Refugee Assistance'',
$1,400,000,000, to remain available until expended, to assist refugees
from Ukraine and for additional support for other vulnerable
populations and communities.

Here is a section that makes me chuckle because it is an example of the sort of thing that fed employees know will become a future "work assignment" for some poor folks to handle. -

TITLE VII

GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS ACT

Sec. 2701. Each amount appropriated or made available by this Act
is in addition to amounts otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year
involved.

Sec. 2702. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act
shall remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year
unless expressly so provided herein.

Sec. 2703. Unless otherwise provided for by this Act, the
additional amounts appropriated by this Act to appropriations accounts
shall be available under the authorities and conditions applicable to
such appropriations accounts for fiscal year 2022.

Sec. 2704. (a) Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
Defense shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and
congressional Leadership a report that includes the following:

(1) a description of United States Government assistance
provided to the security forces of the Government of Ukraine
for the purpose of supporting the Ukrainian people as they
defend their territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to
counter ongoing Russian aggression, including:

(A) an assessment of Ukrainian security
requirements and capabilities gaps the assistance seeks
to fill; and

(B) formal requests from the Government of Ukraine
for specific defense articles and services as of the
date of enactment;

(2) a description, to the extent practicable, of other
assistance, including lethal assistance, Ukraine has received
since December 1, 2021, from foreign governments;

(3) a description of United States Government diplomatic
efforts to end Russia's aggression against Ukraine and to
restore Ukraine's sovereignty;

(4) a detailed description of United States Government
policies aimed at supporting North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) allies and other European partners threatened by the
government of the Russian Federation and its proxies and
increased strain from the humanitarian crisis; and

(5) a plan to replenish stocks of U.S. origin defense
articles transferred by NATO or its member states to Ukraine.

(b) The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in
unclassified form but may contain a classified annex, if necessary.

(c) Every 90 days after the release of the first report to the
appropriate congressional committees, the Secretary of State and the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees and congressional Leadership a report that includes:

(1) a detailed description of defense articles transferred
or scheduled to be transferred by the United States to the
Government of Ukraine; and

(2) a detailed description of U.S. origin defense articles
transferred by NATO or its member states under U.S.
authorization to the Government of Ukraine during the reporting
period.

(d) For purposes of this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' means the House Committees on Foreign
Affairs, Armed Services, and Appropriations and the Senate Committees
on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Appropriations.

Sec. 2705. Each amount provided by this division is designated by
the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4001(a)(1) and section 4001(b) of S. Con. Res. 14 (117th Congress), the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2022.

This division may be cited as the ``Ukraine Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2022''.

[ColinC]

6. Thanks!

It looks like there isn't any specific equipment that the US is required to send. I'm wondering if Ukraine should least expect a large shipment of SAM's as a result of this bill in the near future.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. If you go to the link I have for the text and do a search (with your browser)

you will see how many times the term "Ukraine" pops up (hint many over thousands of pages).

I doubt they would actually specify the exact types of equipment but generally would put a dollar figure on how much can be spent on it (and/or for transfer of it) and any restrictions as to who gets what. But the details would be something decided by DOD. Most in Congress (i.e., their aides who write the legislation) would have no idea what types/makes of equipment thre are. The Secretary of Defense would work with the military and civilian side to inventory and decide and then report that to Congress separately (as needed/requested).

I also expect whatever they wrote may have modified the separate "National Defense Authorization Act" that they do annually that specifies the categories of spending (and that passed in December and was signed by the President near the end of the month).

[JohnSJ]

2. Who voted against this?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Here

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00078.htm

NAYs ---31

Blackburn (R-TN)
Boozman (R-AR)
Braun (R-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cotton (R-AR)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Fischer (R-NE)
Hagerty (R-TN)
Hawley (R-MO)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Lummis (R-WY)
Marshall (R-KS)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Romney (R-UT)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-FL)
Scott (R-SC)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)

Not Voting - 1

Inhofe (R-OK)

[JohnSJ]

9. Thanks. Interesting that Romney voted against it. That speaks volumes

[BumRushDaShow]

10. You are welcome

and yes it is interesting as is it being interesting that Toomey joined that shame club but perhaps not unexpected (as I have told people - don't trust Teabagger Toomey). He had nothing to lose since he is retiring at the end of his term this year.

But what is also interesting that some like Hyde-Smith and Tuberville actually voted FOR it (the other Republicans who voted for it have generally bopped back and forth with appearing "bipartisan" - particularly when it comes to increased military funding, and that includes Turtle).

[Cha]

3. Good on Senators Schumer & Leahy!

Here we are getting Bipartisan bills passed.. just like PJB said he could get done. Amazing!

TY! 💙💛

[doc03]

4. Why do we have a damn shut down every couple months. nt