US Houses passes package to end partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON

The US House passed a package Tuesday to end a partial government shutdown that began Saturday.

The lawmakers approved the funding bill by a vote of 217-214, sending it to President Donald Trump's desk for signature.

Last week, the Senate passed the funding package, which includes five long-term appropriations bills, while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks to allow negotiations on immigration enforcement.

The shutdown, which began Saturday, left large swaths of the federal government and roughly 45% of the federal workforce in uncertainty amid a sharp dispute about the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, particularly in the state of Minnesota, affecting agencies, including the Pentagon, Treasury and the State, Transportation, Homeland Security, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

The measure drew opposition from most Democrats, who expressed anger over the deadly shootings of two US citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The bill provides funding for multiple federal agencies through September, while giving the DHS just 10 additional days of funding to push for changes in Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

If lawmakers fail to agree on funding for DHS, with Democrats pushing for changes to the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, another partial shutdown could happen later this month.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that 96% of the government would now be funded.

"We have now funded 11 of the 12 separate appropriations funding bills for the government for the year. And that's a big achievement," Johnson told the reporters.

Johnson said he hoped Democrats would act "in good faith" over the next 10 days as negotiations continue.

"We hope that everyone is in good faith. We think the next two weeks will be critical, but I hope that they will not keep that funding and suspense because it's too important to the American people," he said.