The House of Representatives sent a short-term spending plan to Biden’s desk Friday, averting a government shutdown that would have gone into effect from midnight. The bill, which passed with a vote of 226 to 200, includes $12.3 billion to assist in the Ukrainian war effort against Russia, $2.5 billion to aid communities impacted by natural disasters, $1 billion to help heat low-income areas amid a gas shortage in the northeast, and $20 million more to aid the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi. The measure faced opposition from Republican leaders, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Less than a dozen Republicans joining the Democratic majority to pass it. The short term spending plan is supposed to fund government activity until Dec. 16, when lawmakers will face a similar deadline.
