The House passed a $1.5 trillion spending bill, including emergency aid for Ukraine, after Democratic leaders decided to remove the $15.6 billion in COVID-19 assistance, as some Democratic lawmakers said they felt blindsided by the provision.
The $15.6 billion COVID-19 aid was intended to prepare for future variants or spike in cases. The spending bill also called for the return of $15.7 billion appropriated in previous coronavirus response bills to the Treasury.
