US COVID-19 FUNDING A measure to provide US$15 billion in additional COVID-19 pandemic response funding was stripped from the US$1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill on Wednesday. According to multiple news media reports, Republicans demanded that the new COVID-19 funding be offset, including by redirecting unused COVID-19 funding from previous spending packages. The COVID-19 funding was separated from the omnibus bill in order to ensure it could be passed quickly, as it included both funding for the federal government and US$13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. A separate COVID-19 funding bill could be voted on next week, which would potentially include US$15.6 billion, including US$8.6 billion that would be offset from sources other than previous state and local COVID-19 relief funding. The new plan is expected to pass in the House of Representatives, but success in the Senate is much less likely.