US House Approves Ukraine Aid, Russian Oil Embargo

The US House of Representatives has voted in favor of a bill that includes $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine facing a Russian invasion, as well as $1.5 trillion in spending to fund US government programs through September 30.

The House approved bipartisan spending and referred the legislation to the Senate, which plans to act before a midnight deadline on Friday when current government funding expires.

The aid to Ukraine aims to help bolster its army in its fight with Russian forces and provide humanitarian support to citizens, including an estimated 1.5 million refugees already abroad.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted that the $13.6 billion in aid was likely just a small part of a much larger effort.

The spending plan includes $730 billion in non-defense funding and $782 billion for the US military.

The House of Representatives also passed, by 414 votes to 17, legislation banning imports of oil and other energy resources from Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Fifteen Republicans and Democrats opposed the measure. This came after President Joe Biden used his executive powers on Tuesday to enforce the ban.