UPDATE -- The House can go home now. That is, those who served as proxy for colleagues who weren't present for the House of Representative's 225-201 vote approving the $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill, (The Washington Post) which now proceeds to the White House for President Biden's signature. The bill consists of $858 billion in defense spending and $773 billion in domestic spending.

Senate Passes Long-Term Spending Bill – The Senate passed the $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill, 68-29, to fund the federal government through September 2023 and avert a shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. The bill includes $45 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, which is $8 billion higher than President Biden’s request. 

The bill also reforms the Electoral Count Act of 1887 to prevent another January 6 by making the counting of Electoral College votes ceremonial. 

No Charity Case -- Three-hundred days after Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a joint session of U.S. Congress Wednesday evening that “Against all odds, Ukraine didn’t fall. …

“Ukraine is alive and kicking. … We defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world. We have no fear, nor should anyone in the world have it. Ukrainians gained this victory, and it gives us courage which inspires the entire world.

“Americans gained this victory, and that’s why you have succeeded in uniting the global community to protect freedom and international law. Europeans gained this victory, and that’s why Europe is now stronger and more independent than ever. The Russian tyranny has lost control over us. And it will never influence our minds again.”

“Next year,” Zelenskyy said, “will be a turning point.” This, in spite of the Russian army using a cold winter as a weapon against the people of Ukraine and Putin showing no sign of giving up even as a reported estimate of 100,000 of his troops have been killed or have deserted. 

“Your money is not charity,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it is sending the advanced MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine as part of a $1.8-billion package announced just ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival in Washington, D.C., where he met with Biden and other officials ahead of his address to Congress.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa