Senate passes Bill to avert shutdown but deny Trump wall funds

Washington: The US Senate approved an emergency short-term spending Bill that averts a looming government shutdown, but excludes the US$5bil (RM20.8bil) that President Donald Trump sought for a US-Mexico border wall.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday said the measure will fund normal government operations at current levels through Feb 8 – bringing Washington a step closer to avoiding a potentially crippling closure of some federal offices over the Christmas holiday.

The Bill, which cleared the Senate by voice vote, will need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump before midnight today, when funding is set to expire for key agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security.

Republican and Democratic leaders gave strong signals that the stop- gap Bill, known as a continuing resolution, would pass Congress and land on the president’s desk.

“It’s good that our Republican colleagues in the Senate finally realised that they should not shut down the government over a wall that does not have enough support to pass the House or Senate and is not supported by a majority of the country,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said upon the Bill clearing the Senate.

White House aides told US media that Trump is inclined to sign the measure.

But it is seen as a defeat for the president, who had argued strenuously for new funding for a wall that he insists would check illegal immigration.

Trump essentially abandoned his position from last week, when he told Democrats he would be “proud” to shutter government over border security. The six-week deal would temporarily break an impasse over spending and border security, as Democrats and Republicans continue to clash over immigration.

It comes a day after Democratic leaders rejected a longer-term Republican offer that would have increased border security.

Once Democrats take House control next month, they will be loathe to greenlight more money to Trump for his wall.