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However aides weren’t terribly stunned. That they had assumed the federal government shutdown showdown would finish this manner in some unspecified time in the future — with the primary query being whether or not McCarthy would take his lumps earlier than or after the funding deadline.
They weren’t displeased with the end result both. The invoice didn’t simply fund the federal government, it additionally included $16 billion in catastrophe reduction and, as one White Home official famous, avoids “any model of the deep cuts to important home packages that had been proposed prior to now few days.”
However the closing measure didn’t embrace help for Ukraine, and its absence was not only a blow for Biden however to Volodymyr Zelenskyy too. The Ukrainian president had simply met with the president and lawmakers final week to as soon as once more make the case for extra funds for Kyiv’s protection towards Moscow.
Contained in the administration, aides tried to downplay the exclusion. “Speaker McCarthy has acknowledged his assist for help to Ukraine,” the White Home official mentioned, including that they anticipated him to deliver a separate invoice to the ground “shortly.”
And Biden too careworn his expectation that there can be one other try to cross Ukraine help within the close to time period.
“Whereas the Speaker and the overwhelming majority of Congress have been steadfast of their assist for Ukraine, there isn’t a new funding on this settlement to proceed that assist,” Biden mentioned in an announcement. “We can not underneath any circumstances enable American assist for Ukraine to be interrupted. I totally count on the Speaker will hold his dedication to the folks of Ukraine and safe passage of the assist wanted to assist Ukraine at this essential second.”
How a lot of that was spin, wishcasting, or stable intel was arduous to inform. Nobody within the White Home would say they acquired an precise assurance from McCarthy that he’d deliver a measure up for a vote. As an alternative, two administration officers famous that McCarthy has by no means himself mentioned he wouldn’t assist help to Ukraine. The view from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. was that the speaker couldn’t embrace it in a authorities funding invoice, lest he incur a full bore revolt from inside his get together. However that didn’t imply he couldn’t push it as a separate matter.
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer made assurances that funding for Ukraine help stays a precedence.
“We won’t cease preventing for extra financial and safety help for Ukraine. Majorities in each events assist Ukraine help, and doing extra is important for America’s safety and for democracy around the globe,” he mentioned after the Senate’s passage.
There’s definitely some Republican urge for food to see that occur, too.
“Most Senate Republicans stay dedicated to serving to our buddies on the entrance traces,” Minority Chief Mitch McConnell mentioned earlier within the night time. And Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the rating member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, mentioned he anticipated Ukraine help to be included within the full yr appropriations that Congress is about to finish later this yr.
However the Home GOP is a unique beast. McCarthy’s workplace didn’t provide any response to a request for remark. Nevertheless, POLITICO reported on Saturday that he had been open to together with Ukraine help within the stopgap funding invoice however was unable to finalize language in time.
Because the invoice headed to the Senate flooring Saturday night, there have been widespread expectations on Capitol Hill {that a} Ukraine-related vote would happen subsequent week, given deep assist within the Senate.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, when requested in regards to the lack of contemporary Ukraine cash within the invoice, mentioned “we now have to get to work on this difficulty” and instructed there can be a vote as quickly as Monday.
“Home Republicans may have a selection within the subsequent few days once we reconvene on Monday.
Are they going to face up for freedom, democracy and fact and the Ukrainian folks, or will they proceed to bend the knee to the pro-Putin caucus within the Home Republican convention?” he mentioned in a post-Home vote information convention Saturday.
As information of the clear stopgap invoice’s parts emerged on Saturday morning, the White Home stored in contact with Democrats on the Hill, monitoring (like them) the precise parts of the legislative language. There was some intrigue over whether or not the measure licensed — or, extra exactly, didn’t stop — a price of residing adjustment for the salaries of congressional members. There additionally was some anxiousness that Home GOP management was making an attempt to jam one thing via the chamber with out giving lawmakers time to learn it.
However, ultimately, there have been no readily seen poison capsules. The White Home stored its distance from the precise whip depend operation, staying agency in its aim to maintain Biden out of the method. Officers have insisted that the president brokered a funding take care of the speaker again within the spring and wouldn’t revisit that settlement.
There was no time to difficulty a proper Assertion of Administration Coverage, as is commonplace on main payments. Rank-and-file Home Democrats acquired no steering on the White Home’s place, in line with a number of folks granted anonymity to debate what would have been non-public discussions.
However the silence implied that the Biden administration didn’t oppose the invoice, both. Ultimately, greater than 200 Home Democrats ended up backing the measure.
Myah Ward and Eun Kyung Kim contributed to this report.
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