In a significant legislative move, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a substantial $1.2 trillion spending package aimed at ending the partial government shutdown. This measure is now headed to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature, setting the stage for forthcoming debates in Congress over the contentious issue of Homeland Security funding.
The bill passed by a narrow margin of 217-214, effectively wrapping up congressional efforts on 11 out of the 12 annual appropriations bills. This package will fund most of the government through the end of the budget year, which concludes on September 30. However, discussions are still pending for the Department of Homeland Security’s funding, with Democrats pushing for tighter restrictions on enforcement activities.
President Trump has indicated his willingness to sign the bill once it reaches him, signaling a step towards resolving the current funding impasse. The passing of this measure required almost unanimous support from the Republican conference, a challenge that Speaker Mike Johnson managed to navigate, albeit narrowly.
The procedural vote was notably contentious, held open for nearly an hour as GOP leaders worked tirelessly to sway a few Republican lawmakers who had alternative priorities unrelated to the funding bill. This effort was crucial to securing the required votes to move forward.
“We have to work through individual members’ concerns. That’s the game here. It’s a consensus-building operation. We do it every day,” Johnson remarked, highlighting the intricate negotiations involved in legislative processes.
In related developments, Homeland Security officers are now being issued body-worn cameras, according to recent updates from Minneapolis, as announced by Noem.
Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”
“We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly – One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats. I hope everyone will vote, YES!,” Trump wrote on his social media site.
The measure once signed will end the partial government shutdown that began Saturday, In addition to funding most of the federal government through Sept. 30, it includes a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13 as lawmakers negotiate potential changes for the agency that enforces the nation’s immigration laws – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Running Trump’s ‘play call’
The House had previously approved the final package of spending bills, but the Senate broke up that package so that more negotiations could take place for the Homeland Security funding bill. Democrats are demanding changes in response to events in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were shot and killed by federal agents.
Johnson said on Fox News Channel’s “Fox News Sunday” it was Trump’s “play call to do it this way. He had already conceded he wants to turn down the volume, so to speak.” But GOP leaders sounded as if they still had work to do in convincing the rank-and-file to join them as House lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday after a week back in their congressional districts.
“We always work till the midnight hour to get the votes,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “You never start the process with everybody on board. You work through it, and you could say that about every major bill we’ve passed.”
Key differences from the last shutdown
The path to the current partial shutdown differs from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted a record 43 days.
Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.
Congress has made important progress since then, passing six of the 12 annual appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and programs. That includes important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites. They are funded through Sept. 30. The remaining bills passed Tuesday represent roughly three-quarters of federal spending set annually by Congress, including the Defense Department.
Associated Press video journalist Nathan Ellgren and writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
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