E-Paper
US House passes $1.2 trillion spending package, ending 4-day government shutdown
President Trump had endorsed the bill, which saw support from a unified GOP and 21 crossover Democrats, despite opposition from most House Democrats.
The four-day-long partial government shutdown drew an end on Tuesday after the US House of Representatives saw majority votes to pass a spending package and sent the legislation to President Donald Trump's desk, who endorsed the bill, for an immediate signature.
The House ensured a 217–214 vote to pass the spending package which was worth $1.2 trillion, One America News reported.
A unified GOP (Republican) conference, which championed the bill, and 21 crossover Democrats voted for the motion while it was opposed by a majority of House Democrats and 21 Republicans.
According to the OAN report, the defectors who predominantly belonged to the House Freedom Caucus said that the 10-day-long stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) surrendered vital leverage to Democrats and failed to include the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Also Read | Welcome thaw in trade impasse
It was the 21 crossover Democrats who went against their own party's leadership to ensure that the government resumes and balanced the GOP defections effectively.
Speaker Mike Johnson needed the support from his Republican conference to be near-unanimous in order to proceed to a final vote. He narrowly got it during a procedural vote that was held open for almost an hour as leaders worked to gain support from some GOP lawmakers who were trying to put forth other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.
"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 said.
What Trump said earlier
Trump on Monday in a social media post, called on Republicans to stay united and told 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!, he added in the Truth Social post.
What the bill includes
Once signed, it will end the partial government shutdown that started on Saturday. Besides funding most of the federal government through September 30, it also has a short-term funding patch for the DHS through February 13. Lawmakers are going to negotiate potential changes for the agency that enforces the nation's immigration laws - US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
(With AP inputs)
