Trump signs spending bill ending US government shutdown
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday passed a law ending a four-day partial government shutdown that came as a result of Democrats’ refusal to fund his immigration enforcement program.
The bill reached Trump’s desk after it passed by a vote of 217 to 214 in the Republican-majority House of Representatives.
Twenty-one Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the funding package, while a similar number of Republicans opposed it.
On Friday, the Senate passed a package of five pending funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, along with a two-week temporary measure to keep the Department of Homeland Security running while negotiators negotiate immigration enforcement policy.
After a record 43-day government shutdown last summer, Trump pressured Republicans to adopt the spending bill and end the shutdown that began Saturday.
“This bill is a great victory for the American people… Instead of a massive package full of special interest aid, we have succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting programs critical to the safety, security, and prosperity of the American people,” he said.
House Democrats have called for changes to the way the Department of Homeland Security handles operations related to the prosecution of illegal immigrants before voting on the spending package.
These operations are carried out using armed and masked elements, who detain people without judicial warrants.
