The US Congress agreed on budget parameters to avoid a “shutdown”

American lawmakers agreed on the main parameters of the budget for 2024. About the agreement, which sets the main budget expenditures at the level of more than 1.6 trillion dollars. the majority leader in the US Senate jointly declared Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson.

Congress must approve budget measures by January 19 to avoid a partial shutdown of the government, a so-called “shutdown.” If both houses of the US Congress do not pass 12 bills needed to fund the government, funds will run out on January 19 for programs in transportation, housing, agriculture, energy, veterans and military construction, Reuters explains. Funding for other areas of government, including defense, will remain in effect until February 2.

News of the agreement has already drawn criticism from the pro-Trump group of congressmen, the Freedom Caucus, which called the deal a “total failure.” The group advocates a significant reduction in budget expenditures.

President of the USA Joe Biden hailed the deal, saying the proposed funding level is in line with bipartisanship and “rejects significant cuts to programs that hard-working families rely on.”

Johnson called the deal “the most favorable budget deal Republicans have reached in more than a decade,” though he acknowledged it “won’t please everyone” because it doesn’t cut spending “as much as many would like.”

The agreement does not include provisions for additional aid to Ukraine and Israel, the Financial Times reports. Congress will consider this additional funding separately.

On Friday, the White House urged Congress to approve aid to Ukraine.

Shalanda Youngdirector of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said there is no way to help Ukraine except for Congress to approve more funding for Kyiv, which has been fighting back Russian aggression for nearly 2 years.

While the Pentagon has some limited authority to help Kiev, without new funding from Capitol Hill, “it will not allow Ukraine to receive large tranches of equipment,” Young said Friday.

The U.S. sent a $250 million arms package to Ukraine late last month, but without more U.S. aid, Young said, Kyiv may struggle to pay its civil servants and function under Russian fire.

“I’m very concerned that Kiev needs more than just the resources of the United States to stop Putin. What message does that send to the rest of the world? And what will their decisions be if they see that the US is not doing its job?” Yang told a group of reporters on Friday.