House Democrats Pass Bills To Reopen Government, Reject Trump’s Border Wall Funding

On Thursday evening, House Democrats voted to end the partial government shutdown via a series of bills and rejected President Donald Trump‘s demand to fund the border wall.

According to CNN, the White House had threatened to veto the legislative package approved by the Democrats, who on Thursday officially took the majority in the 116th Congress.

The shutdown — which has left 800,000 federal workers without pay amid the immigration standoff — reached its 13th day on Thursday. The bills are projected to not pass the Senate, which remains under Republican control. Thus, the shutdown could continue if the stalemate between both houses of Congress persists. Trump had ordered $5 billion be provided for the wall.

The House initially voted Thursday to approve a stopgap spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security that excluded additional funds for the wall. That bill passed with a 239-192 vote, with five GOP congressmen joining Democrats.

Then, the House passed a package that comprised six full-year spending bills to reopen other closed departments of the government.

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Trump and Congressional leaders from both parties are set to meet Friday morning to discuss the issue. In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence insisted that “if there’s no wall, there’s no deal” to reopen the government.

California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who on Thursday was elected House Speaker, again blasted the idea of the wall, calling it “an immorality” and “a waste of money” in a press conference. Pelosi had previously said Trump’s obsession with the barrier was a “manhood thing.”

During today’s meeting between @realDonaldTrump, myself & other Democratic leaders, we asked the President to open up the government – giving him a path Republicans have supported previously. Why would he not do it? #TrumpShutdown

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 3, 2019

The majority of the federal workers affected by the shutdown will likely not receive retroactive pay once the government reopens – the income they would have earned during that time is gone forever.

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