House passes $1.5T government funding bill plus Ukraine aid after chaotic day

The House passed a $1.5 trillion government funding bill Wednesday night, setting the first new spending levels under the Biden administration, providing $13.6 billion in measures to support Ukraine, and marking the end of months of bipartisan budget negotiations.

Separately, the House passed a short-term stopgap measure that funds the government at current levels after the Friday deadline through March 15. That gives the Senate more time to consider and act on the omnibus funding measure.

Passage came after a long and chaotic day of delays and last-minute snags. A measure to authorize $15.6 billion in additional coronavirus aid was separated from the omnibus and turned into its own bill, which is expected to be acted on next week and faces an uncertain future in the Senate.