Government shutdown comes to end as short-term spending bill heads to Trump's desk
The US House of Representatives has passed a short-term spending bill to end the government shutdown.
The measure will now head to President Donald Trump's desk to be signed, allowing the government to be reopened on Tuesday morning.
The bill funds the government for three weeks. In the meantime, negotiations will continue on the issue of immigration and a larger budget bill.
Earlier in the day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats had reached a deal with Republicans to end the shutdown.
“After several discussions, offers and counteroffers, the Republican leader and I have come to an arrangement,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “We will vote today to reopen the government to continue negotiating a global agreement.”
The Senate later voted 81-18 to approve the spending bill before it was sent to the House, where members of Congress voted 266-150 to also reopen the government.
The deal falls short of the Democrats’ initial demand that Republican leaders agree to the rough outlines of a measure that would provide protections for undocumented migrants brought to the US as children – the so-called “dreamers”.
On Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to take up such an immigration bill - a pledge that Mr Schumer said was enough for Democrats to agree to help end the government shutdown.
If senators fail to reach a deal on immigration by February 8 as part of a broader agreement on federal spending, the Senate will then take up a separate immigration measure, Mr Schumer said.
“Once the government is funded, my administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country,” Mr Trump said in a statement.
