House Clears Key Hurdle To Reopening The Government Later Today

WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted Tuesday to beforehand a backing package to end nan little authorities shutdown that began Saturday, putting nan authorities connected way to walk nan afloat chamber.

A procedural ballot of 217-215 tees up a last transition ballot later successful nan afternoon, which requires a elemental mostly of nan House earlier it tin spell to President Donald Trump to beryllium signed into law. Trump has said he will motion it "immediately."

The authorities will guarantee full-year backing for nan national authorities done nan extremity of September, pinch nan lone objection of nan Department of Homeland Security, which is put connected a two-week leash arsenic Democrats insist connected changes aft national agents fatally changeable 2 Americans successful Minneapolis.

A ballot connected nan measure was delayed by 1 time aft Democrats privately indicated they wouldn't supply nan ample number of votes needed to fast-track it connected Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had not indicated really he would vote, but said his members had “a assortment of perspectives” connected it.

After a convention gathering connected Tuesday, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., would not opportunity really she'd ballot connected nan measure erstwhile asked astir it earlier nan procedural vote.

The "rule" ballot provided immoderate play arsenic nan House GOP's one-vote separator showed its challenges. It was held unfastened for an extended play erstwhile Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., unexpectedly joined Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., successful voting against it. Massie has held his crushed against spending bills and was seen arsenic each but intolerable to flip. Rose, who complained that nan Senate wasn't doing capable to walk nan SAVE Act, which mandates impervious of citizenship to vote, yet flipped to "yes."

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., nan party's lead backing negotiator successful nan House, said she will ballot for nan measure and predicted it would pass. She said she said up successful favour of nan measure wrong nan meeting, arsenic did different Democrats.

"I judge this is an opportunity to isolate DHS and spell astatine it, hammer and tongs, bony and nail — immoderate building you want to use, alternatively than having to fig retired what nan heck is going to hap to 5 different bills and each those departments," DeLauro said. "There's unbelievable bipartisan, bicameral support connected those bills. So why squander that? And past return nan adjacent 10 days, adjacent Friday, and conscionable bring DHS up."

The woody to punt connected DHS costs for 2 weeks, alongside nan different backing bills, was negotiated between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and nan White House aft nan killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti sparked a nationalist outcry.

After nan Senate passed nan package past Friday by a ballot of 71-29, Trump gave it a boost pinch House Republicans by calling connected lawmakers to walk it arsenic written, stamping retired demands by immoderate successful nan statement to make changes.

The measurement tees up a frantic 10-day model for Congress to discuss a DHS backing statement arsenic Democrats request reforms to rein successful ICE and CBP.

The caller deadline erstwhile DHS backing will expire is Feb. 13.

Securing a bipartisan woody will beryllium a gangly order.

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., a elder personnel of nan Appropriations Committee, said it will beryllium "very difficult" to unafraid a DHS backing woody by nan adjacent deadline.

"There are immense differences," he said. "I would expect — and I'm proceeding that location could beryllium conscionable another, we footwear nan tin down nan roadworthy a small spot longer until those differences tin beryllium worked retired ... astatine least, probably, March 1."