Congress must pass some form of government funding, such as a temporary funding measure, standard appropriations bills, a series of minibuses or an omnibus, before the end of the month to avoid a shutdown.
"Operation Atlantic Resolve is an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations, which is consistent with DOD’s Contingency Plan Guidance For Continuation Of Essential Operations In The Absence Of Available Appropriations," Sherwood said on Thursday.
Operation Atlantic Resolve is the name of the Pentagon's mission in response to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
Biden is requesting from Congress approval for an additional $24 billion to support Ukraine in fiscal year 2024, but several US Republican lawmakers are hesitant to support it. Additional funding for Ukraine is not guaranteed to be included in a short-term spending bill if lawmakers fail to reach a deal on a full spending bill.
Earlier Thursday, Biden announced a new $128 million security package for Ukraine that includes a variety of equipment, including a second Hawk air defense battery, AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, Avenger air defense systems and cluster munitions, among other munitions.