U.S. Congress reaches $1.5 trln funding deal, including Ukraine aid

[March 09, 2022]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. lawmaker have reached a $1.5 trillion deal to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2022, including $13.6 billion in security and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and $15.6 billion for COVID, U.S. congressional leaders said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Capitol building is pictured in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

The announced agreement comes as current funding for U.S. agencies is set to expire on Friday.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, in a separate statement, said the plan includes $730 billion in non-defense funding and $782 billion in defense funding.

"This bipartisan agreement will help us address many of the major challenges we face at home and abroad: from COVID-19, to the vicious and immoral attack on Ukraine, to the need to lower costs for hardworking American families," U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

The omnibus spending plan will boost funding for domestic priorities, including money for infrastructure passed under an earlier bipartisan measure to revamp U.S. roads, bridges and broadband, they said.

It also includes new protections to protect U.S. infrastructure from cyberattacks "by Russia and other bad actors."

The measure will also reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, Pelosi and Schumer said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Andrew Heavens)

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