Lawmakers unveil $1.7T bill to avoid shutdown, boost Ukraine

By KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have unveiled a $1.7 trillion bill to fund the government. The measure released early Tuesday includes another large round of aid to Ukraine, a nearly 10% boost in defense spending and roughly $40 billion in emergency spending, mostly to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters. Lawmakers are working to stuff as many priorities as they can into what is likely to be the last major bill of the current Congress. They are racing to complete passage before a midnight Friday deadline or face the prospect of a partial government shutdown going into the Christmas holiday.