WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Friday evening approved a funding package just hours before government funding was set to expire. With the House still in recess until Monday, a short funding lapse is still likely.
The upper chamber passed the measure by a vote of 71-29, indicating bipartisan support.
The approval came one day after U.S. Senate Democrats reached a deal with Republicans and the White House would pass five spending bills to fund part of the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, as well as a stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The bill now heads to the House, which still needs time to approve it. Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that the earliest floor action in the House could be Monday, noting the House's requirement that text be available 72 hours before a vote, according to a report by The Hill.
The recent two fatal shootings by federal enforcement in Minneapolis have prompted Democrats to seek changes to how immigration agencies operate. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that until Immigration and Customs Enforcement is properly reined in and overhauled legislatively, the DHS funding bill does not have the votes to pass the Senate.
Funding for multiple U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is expected to expire Saturday. ■