The U. S. House of Representatives approved a government spending bill that includes $5.7 billion in funding for a new border wall on Dec. 20 as Congress works to prevent a partial government shutdown.
The U. S. House of Representatives approved a government spending bill that includes $5.7 billion in funding for a new border wall on Dec. 20 as Congress works to prevent a partial government shutdown.
The House passed the government funding package with 217 votes for and 185 against, which also includes nearly $8 billion in disaster relief funding for areas affected by the year’s devastating coastal hurricanes and wildfires in California. The package now goes to the Senate and if passed, will prevent funding from running out for almost a quarter of government entities on Dec. 21.
More than 800,000 federal workers face furloughs, or working without pay, if a resolution is not reached before the current funding arrangement expires at midnight on Dec. 21. The legislation affects nine out of a total of 15 Cabinet-level departments and dozens of government agencies, including the departments of homeland security, transportation, interior, agriculture, state and justice, as well as national parks and forests.
Many agencies, including the Pentagon and departments of veterans affairs and health and human services, are funded for the year and would continue to operate as usual even if the funding lapses in the case of a push-back in the Senate. The U. S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, would also be unaffected by any government shutdown since it is an independent agency.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will not travel to Florida this Christmas if the government shuts down.
