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WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) – A longstanding political stalemate in the U.S. Congress over money for immigration enforcement ended on Tuesday, when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s administration.
The 214-212 vote, which was roughly along party lines, sends the partisan legislation to the White House for Trump’s signature. Representative Kevin Kiley, a former Republican who has recently become an independent, joined Democrats to oppose the measure.
The Republican-led Senate passed the same bill late last week after a marathon voting session. Republicans used a fast-track process known as reconciliation, which allowed them to circumvent opposition from Senate Democrats.
Policy disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over reforms for immigration agents led to a 76-day partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. The shutdown largely ended in April, after Trump signed a bipartisan bill funding DHS agencies that are not involved in the president’s immigration crackdown through September 30, the end of the fiscal year.
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