President Donald Trump has signed a package of spending bills to end the government shutdown that began on Jan. 31, after House lawmakers voted 217-214 to pass five of the six remaining appropriations bills until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
They also passed a 10-day continuing resolution to fund the US Department of Homeland Security until February 13 as congressional leaders from both parties try to broker a deal to curb immigration enforcement efforts in cities including Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis, where two US citizens were killed by federal ICE agents.
The Senate approved the package on January 30.
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Republicans must negotiate with Democrats to end what she describes as an out-of-control agency. “We will hold DHS accountable or there will be no Democratic votes to fund a lawless agency. If Republicans refuse to make the changes the American people demand, they are forcing a Republican shutdown of DHS.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, could be dragged into any battle over the funding gap. Agency officials issued a statement Jan. 31 noting that they have been sending resources to Mississippi to supplement state and local efforts there to respond to severe winter storms that hit much of the central and eastern US over the past week.
FEMA’s future is still up in the air, following recent staff cuts and questions about whether more of the burden of disaster response will shift to state and local governments in the future.
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