House Approves Homeland Security Funding Bill

The House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security without provisions that would derail President Barack Obama's immigration reform efforts.



The 257-167 vote on the clean spending bill extends funding for the department beyond the Friday deadline that lawmakers set last week in a last-minute bid to avert a shutdown.



Homeland Security nearly ran out of funds when lawmakers approved short-term funding legislation with just hours left before a midnight deadline.



Breaking ranks, 75 Republicans joined with House Democrats to support the $40 billion spending measure, which funds the department through the end of September.



The Senate passed the bill last week, which now sets the stage for Obama to sign it into law. He is widely expected to do so.



Congressional Republicans singled out the department for short-term funding in December in a bid to gain leverage against Obama, and force him to change course on executive actions he took to shield approximately 5 million undocumented migrants from deportation.



House Speaker John Boehner pushed the vote through the House despite objections from Republican hardliners who object to Obama's immigration efforts.



The bill's passage is a significant victory for Democrats who have urged lawmakers to pass a "clean" bill.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Washington DC