House passes bill to avert government shutdown

The House joined the Senate on Thursday, passing a government spending deal that averts a government shutdown and includes $1.375 billion for new border fences, well below the $5.7 billion President Trump wants to fund barriers along the southern U.S. border.

The Senate passed the bill 83-16, and the House 300-128. On Thursday afternoon, the White House said Trump plans to sign the legislation, which prevents a shutdown that would start on Saturday and keeps the government open through Sept. 30, but will declare a national emergency in order to get the rest of the money he wants for the border wall.

Immediately, Democrats and some Republicans criticized the idea of declaring a national emergency, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) saying it's a "dangerous step" because "of the precedent it sets" and "because the president is going to get sued and it won't succeed in accomplishing his goal." In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said this would be "a lawless act, a gross abuse of the power of the presidency and a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that President Trump broke his core promise to have Mexico pay for his wall."

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