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| House speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “We’re not doing a wall. Does anyone have any doubt? We are not doing a wall.” |
VietPress USA (Jan. 3rd, 2019): Today is the first day the Democrats take the Majority to control the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi managed the floor to vote and passed two Democratic bills.
The first Bill is to end the government shutdown without funding of USD5 Billion for border wall as President Trump requested.
The second Democratic Bill consists of six spending bills to reopen and fully fund parts of government until the end of the fiscal year, September 30. The House passed the appropriations package 241 - 190.
The vote comes after the House passed the first measure -- a stopgap bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security at its current funding levels until February 8, essentially punting the fight on the wall to next month while reopening DHS in the meantime.
Both bills are expected to the Senate but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also pledged to block the measures from a vote in the upper chamber.. Even if they did, Trump threats to Veto both and will keep the government shutdown until he could get US$5 billion his border wall.
Prior to the votes, Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Thursday afternoon to underscore his demand for the border wall, asserting that “without a wall, you cannot have border security.”
“You can call it a barrier. You can call it whatever you want,” Trump said. “But essentially, we need protection in our country. We're going to make it good. The people of our country want it.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphatically declared: “We’re not doing a wall. Does anyone have any doubt? We are not doing a wall.”. In a news conference ahead of two votes tonight on reopening the government, Pelosi and other Democratic leaders continued to criticize President Trump for "holding hostage" federal employees to get his border wall money.
Read this news report from ABC News on Yahoo News at: https://news.yahoo.com/house-votes-end-shutdown-despite-white-house-veto-032505225.html
VietPress USA News
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House votes to end shutdown despite White House veto threat
House Democrats took their first major legislative votes of the new Congress, approving two measures to end the 13-day partial government shutdown -- despite a presidential veto threat.
Though both measures are expected to stall in the Senate, newly minted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled out approving any funding towards the president’s $5.6 billion request for a physical barrier at the southern border – renewing the impasse that led to the shutdown last month.
"We are not doing a wall. Does anybody have any doubt? We are not doing a wall," Pelosi, D-California, said, dubbing the President Donald Trump as a “master of diversion.”
In light of newly divided government, Thursday’s votes set down a legislative marker for the House of Representatives, but did not produce a bipartisan resolution to the border wall stalemate or bring the shutdown any closer to its end.
“The fact is a wall is an immorality. It's not who we are as a nation,” Pelosi said. “It’s a wall between reality and his constituents, his supporters."
A vote on a package of six appropriations bills late Thursday night passed 241-190, while lawmakers also approved a narrow measure to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security until Feb. 8 by a tally of 239-192.
“As Representatives, funding the federal government is one of our most important duties,” House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-New York, said on the House floor during debate on the bills. “When Congress allows a president to dictate ridiculous demands and lets petty partisanship prevent the timely passage of appropriations bills, we abdicate that responsibility. Our new Democratic majority was elected to end the chaos and govern responsibly.”
Prior to the votes, Trump made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Thursday afternoon to underscore his demand for the border wall, asserting that “without a wall, you cannot have border security.”
“You can call it a barrier. You can call it whatever you want,” Trump said. “But essentially, we need protection in our country. We're going to make it good. The people of our country want it.”
Separately, the White House signaled Thursday that the president would veto either measure if the legislation reached the Resolute Desk.
"The Administration has made it clear that the Government needs an investment of at least $5 billion for border security, along with the flexibility necessary to utilize these funds efficiently,” a statement of administration policy stated. “The appropriations bill, H.R. 21, and the corresponding H.J. Res. 1, does not come close to providing these necessary investments and authorities."
Congressional leaders were slated to meet with Trump at 11 a.m. Friday to resume negotiations, though neither side appears ready to cave.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also pledged to block the measures from a vote in the upper chamber.
“The Senate will not take up any proposal that does not have a real chance of passing this chamber and getting a presidential signature,” McConnell, R-Kentucky, said. “Let’s not waste the time. Let’s not get off on the wrong foot, with House Democrats using their new platform to produce political statements rather than serious solutions.”
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