AP source: Funding bill includes more than $12 billion for Ukraine

WASHINGTON — More than $12 billion in Ukraine-related aid will be included as part of stopgap spending bill that would fund the federal government into mid-December, a person familiar with the legislation said Monday.

The funding package, which Congress is set to consider this week, will also provide disaster assistance, including for Jackson, Miss., where improvements are needed for the city’s water treatment system after its main facility malfunctioned in late August, leaving many stranded without clean water.

Also in the package is money to help households afford winter heating and funding to assist Afghans in resettling in the U.S. And it will reauthorize user fees that the Food and Drug Administration relies on to fund some of the agency’s most critical safety programs, such as product safety reviews.

A procedural vote in the Senate is set for this evening. The details were provided by a person who was not authorized to discuss the legislation publicly and was granted anonymity.

Both chambers of Congress must approve legislation by the end of Friday, which is the end of the fiscal year, to prevent a partial government shutdown. It represents the last bit of business for lawmakers before the midterm elections. Both sides are eager to wrap up and spend time on the campaign trail rather than in Washington, lowering the risk of a federal stoppage.

The Biden administration has requested that billions of dollars in emergency funding be attached to the package, including for Ukraine, COVID-19 and other priorities.

Senators from both parties have been largely supportive of providing Ukraine with more assistance.