House Sends Bill to Trump to End Government Shutdown

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a Senate-passed spending package to reopen much of the federal government, ending a four-day partial shutdown in which the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown became the central issue. The 217-to-214 vote sent the measure to President Donald Trump’s desk, capping days of brinkmanship that underscored how little margin for error House Speaker Mike Johnson has as he governs with one of the slimmest majorities in modern history.  The legislation funds large swaths of the government for the rest of the fiscal year, but only extends financing for the Department of Homeland Security until Feb. 13. The temporary funding is meant to give lawmakers time for negotiations over demands by Democrats to rein in federal immigration enforcement. The package had been negotiated by Senate Democrats and the White House and passed the Senate last week with Trump’s backing. But its path through the House was anything but smooth. Progressive Democrats revolted over the prospect of blessing any additional funding for immigration enforcement agencies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while conservative Republicans demanded unrelated policy concessions or rejected the bill outright as fiscally irresponsible. In the end, Johnson relied on a combination of White House pressure, late-night negotiations and a reluctant coalition of Republicans and Democrats who agreed that prolonging the shutdown would inflict unnecessary harm on federal workers and the broader economy. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.