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The U.S. House passed a major Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill on Thursday, increasing funding for agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Congress passed two separate spending packages. One allocates funds to the departments of War (previously Defense), Education, Transportation, and Health and Human Services. The other provides additional funding to DHS, including ICE.
In a show of bipartisanship, the first bill passed easily, 341-88, with 149 Democrats siding with Republicans to support it. The DHS bill was a much closer vote, narrowly passing with 220-207.
Seven Democrats voted to support the DHS bill, including Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Don Davis, D-N.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., Melanie Glusenkamp Perez, D-Wash., Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas.
Meanwhile, only one Republican, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, opposed the bill.
The federal spending amounts to $1.2 trillion—a move that could prevent a government shutdown on Jan. 30, according to Fox News.
The bill’s passage also marks the first time in nearly 30 years that the House has avoided funding the government in one gigantic spending bill, known as an “omnibus,” or short-term incremental funding called a “continuing resolution,” per the network.
Likewise, House members have so far advanced four small bundles of two to three of their 12 annual appropriations bills. If passed by the U.S. Senate, the bills will crush the prospects of a government shutdown in 2026.
The Senate is expected to move on the package next week, with the deadline to avoid a government shutdown at the end of January.
