The House on Thursday passed a stopgap funding measure that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security through February at 2018 funding levels.
It’s the latest effort by House Democrats to try to pressure the GOP in the shutdown standoff by passing individual spending bills that don’t include the $5.7 billion President Trump is seeking for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The House passed the bill on a 231-180 vote, with five Republicans voting yes.
“Either we reopen the department and the rest of the federal government without conditions, or we continue to use federal workers and everyone who depends on them as bargaining chips in funding negotiations,” said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, California Democrat.
The legislation also contains language Democrats say expands on a new law guaranteeing back pay for federal employees affected by the shutdown to cover state or federal grantees carrying out federal programs.
But Republicans say Democrats are wasting time by passing bills Mr. Trump is unlikely to sign because they don’t include wall funding.
“The American people want and deserve border security. The American people want and desire a barrier,” said Rep. Charles Fleischmann, Tennessee Republican. “Call it a wall; call it a fence. It is something that the American people want.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the lone Democrat to vote “no” — as has been the case for several recent votes on spending bills. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, has raised concerns about funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Thirteen Democrats also broke with their party to support an earlier procedural motion from Republicans aimed at ensuring DHS employees affected by the shutdown get paid.
That motion failed on a 214-200 vote.
Federal employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay are in line to miss their second paycheck on Friday.
In the rule laying out the terms of debate for the measure, Democrats also waived a provision in their own new rules package prohibiting legislation that hasn’t passed through committee from being considered until it’s been available to members for 72 hours.
House Democrats introduced the measure on Tuesday.
The Senate, meanwhile, is set to weigh two separate measures on Thursday that would reopen the government.
One is a plan that would provide funding through September for shuttered federal agencies affected by the shutdown.
It also includes Mr. Trump’s recently-outlined immigration plan, which includes $5.7 billion for the wall, plus temporary protections for illegal immigrant “Dreamers” covered by the Obama-era DACA decoration amnesty and immigrants in the country under humanitarian temporary protected status.
The second bill, being pushed by Democrats, would temporarily reopen the government for a few weeks that doesn’t include additional funding for a border wall.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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