US House passes $1.2 trillion spending package to end government shutdown

The United States House of Representatives has approved a $1.2 trillion spending package to end a partial government shutdown.

The bipartisan legislation, passed on Tuesday, restores lapsed funding for key federal programmes, including those within the Departments of Labor and Education. The bill passed with 217 voting for it and 214 voting against in the Republican-controlled House.

Twenty-one Republicans voted against the bill, while 21 Democrats ended up voting for the legislation, which is now headed to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he will sign it into law.

Immigration was a major point of contention. The bill temporarily extends funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but leaves room for lawmakers to negotiate changes and reforms to immigration enforcement in the wake of federal agents killing two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, last month.

The spending package only funds DHS for two weeks, through February 13. Otherwise, Congress wrapped up 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programmes through September 30.

Democrats are also demanding new restraints for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

“Democrats are united in our commitment to compel substantial reform at the Department of Homeland Security. Dramatic changes such as a mask ban, judicial warrant requirement, independent investigations when agents break the law, use of force protocols, mandatory body cameras and an end to the targeting of sensitive locations like houses of worship, schools and hospitals must be part of any full-year appropriations bill,” Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement after the vote.