US House approves $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US House of Representatives on Friday approved a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, a measure set to fund the government through most of 2023.

The House approved the bill by a vote of 225-201, with one Republican representative voting present, and it now heads to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.

The bill provides $772.5 billion for domestic programs and $858 billion for defense funding. It also includes new aid of $45 billion for Ukraine amid the Russian-led war as well as $27 billion for the victims of natural disasters.

The support for embattled Ukraine, in particular, may not have passed so easily in the new Congress set to begin on Jan. 3, which is set to include more Republican skeptics of the aid, even as the war is set to begin its 11th month.

The bill also includes a measure to ban the popular Chinese-owned TikTok app from government devices.

The bill faced criticism from some Republicans, including House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who blasted the measure, saying: “It’ll make the border worse, it’ll make inflation worse, it’ll make the economy worse, it’ll make the government worse."

McCarthy is facing an uphill battle becoming the new House speaker, with challenges coming from far-right members of Congress, many of whom oppose the spending bill.