Congress approved the massive FY 2022 $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package that also includes $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine on Thursday, March 11, 2022. The legislation moved at the congressional version of warp speed, passing the House late Wednesday, less than a day after it was introduced, and clearing the Senate 24 hours later. The 2,741 page bill next goes to the White House where President Biden is expected to sign it into law.1
The House conducted two separate votes late Wednesday, approving the military spending portion by a vote of 361-69 and, a few minutes later, approving the non-defense part by a vote of 260-171. The Senate passed the bill in bipartisan fashion, 68-31.23
Passage of the legislation came after months of delay and three temporary continuing resolutions (CRs) designed to keep the government afloat until legislators could agree on a final product. Congress was up against a midnight March 11 deadline before a government shutdown was set to occur.4
The $1.5 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2022 contains $730 billion in non-defense spending, a 6.7% increase over FY 2021 appropriations, and $782 billion in defense spending, a 5.6% jump from the previous fiscal year. While the $1.4 trillion 2021 spending bill included an additional $900 billion in end-of-the-year COVID-19 funding, legislators removed $15.6 billion in COVID-19 funding from the FY 2022 legislation.5
NC said on Tuesday it filed a complaint with Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station against the operator of the YouTube channel Yeongraegi, alleging dissemination of false information and obstruction of b...