President Donald Trump has signed a House-approved funding package to end a partial government shutdown, CBS News reported Feb. 3.
The House passed the funding bill Feb. 3 by a 217-214 vote. The vote was largely party-line, yet Republicans and Democrats each saw 21 members cross the aisle for a final vote.
While the measure passed the Senate Jan. 30, it did not reach the House or White House before a funding deadline lapsed at midnight Jan. 30, resulting in a partial shutdown.
The approved package includes appropriations to fund five agencies, including HHS, through Sept. 30. It also contains a two-week continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has become the central focus of negotiations on Capitol Hill.
DHS funding will expire Feb. 14 without further action by Congress. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats will present a “very serious, detailed proposal” on DHS reforms “very shortly,” according to CBS.
Democrats are demanding a range of reforms to immigration enforcement methods utilized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the last year. They’re seeking an end to roving patrols and more scrutiny over the use of warrants in arrests. Democrats are also seeking a uniform code of conduct, more avenues for citizen accountability over ICE’s actions and a “masks off, body cameras on” policy for federal agents.
The House initially passed the six-bill package Jan. 22. At the time, the bills were largely expected to pass in the Senate. However, after Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old registered nurse, was allegedly shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis Jan. 24, Democrats said they would not support DHS funding without broad reforms to ICE operations.
