Senate passes bill to expand assistance for Americans returning from Afghanistan
A U.S. Air Force aircraft takes off from the airport in Kabul on Aug. 30. Photo: Aamir Qureshi /AFP via Getty Images
The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that will increase funding available to provide temporary assistance to Americans returning from Afghanistan.
Why it matters: The bill — approved by the House last month — will allocate up to $10 million for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to provide emergency repatriation assistance to individuals coming from Afghanistan, CNN reports.
Driving the news: Vice President Kamala Harris presided over a session of the Senate Tuesday during which the Emergency Repatriation Assistance for Returning Americans Act passed unanimously.
- Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) requested unanimous consent to pass the bill in the Senate.
What they're saying: Cardin said Tuesday the legislation increases "the funds that are available to take care of Americans who have been brought home from Afghanistan."
- "They've been uprooted, they were living in Afghanistan, so to take care of their necessities on a short-term basis. It might be housing, ... food, transportation, those sorts of issues on a short-term basis," Cardin said, per CNN.
The big picture: Passage of the bill comes less than one day after the final American soldier departed Afghanistan.
What's next: Biden is set to address the nation Tuesday afternoon about the conclusion of the war.
- The bill now heads to his desk for his approval.