Us Senate Democrats unveiled a new stopgap funding bill on Monday night to avoid a government shutdown when federal funding runs out on Friday. The 237-page text of the proposal would try to keep the federal government funded until Dec. 16.

But the bill also contains several non-funding measures, including controversial legislation to overhaul the federal licensing process for US energy projects and billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, raising questions about whether enough lawmakers will vote for it.

The bill needs at least 60 votes in the Senate, which is expected to vote on it when it reconvenes on Tuesday, and must also pass the House of Representatives.

Getting through the House and Senate isn't easy?

The biggest hurdle in getting the bill through the House and Senate is that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to include reforms to the energy permitting process called for by Senator Joe Manchin in exchange for his vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act in August.

Many lawmakers from both parties have criticized Mr. Manchin's proposal.

Republicans have argued that the proposal does not go far enough in removing barriers to approvals and still prevents the speedy construction of energy projects. Democrats worry that speeding up oil and gas approvals will destroy critical ecosystems and endanger the health of nearby residents.

After the text of the latest bill was released Monday, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he would not vote for a funding bill that included licensing reforms.

On the House side, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that lawmakers would be able to act quickly on the funding bill, but she declined to speculate on whether enough House members would vote for it to pass.

In fact, the reason lawmakers put Manchin's bill in a must-pass bill, such as a government funding bill, is to force lawmakers from both parties to pass it.

In response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that President Biden and his top aides are confident that Congress can find a way to prevent a shutdown.

"We believe this could have been avoided," she said, "This is not the first time we've been in this position and we're talking about [this legislation]." We finally did it last year and we can do it again this year. So we encourage Congress to pass this bill."

The bill would also include more than $12 billion in aid to Ukraine to help equip its military with new weapons. The White House said earlier this month that "the Ukrainian people need this payment as they defend their sovereignty."

"The people of Ukraine desperately need our support to continue protecting their families," said Representative Rosa DeLauro, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the House Appropriations Committee.

The bill would also reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration's user-pay agreements for prescription drugs, generic drugs and medical devices, preserving access for American patients. The bill must be passed by the end of September to avoid a funding gap for the FDA.