House passes short-term spending bill

WASHINGTON » The House on Thursday passed a short-term spending bill that would set up a government shutdown fight over President Donald Trump’s border wall just ahead of Christmas.

The legislation sets a new deadline of Dec. 21 when funding for the Homeland Security Department and a handful of other federal agencies will dry up without action by Congress and Trump.

The deadline was today, at midnight, but lawmakers agreed to extend it in light of former President George H.W. Bush’s death and memorial events. Trump is expected to sign the measure.

The legislation does nothing to resolve the central dispute looming over the final days of the 115th Congress: Trump’s demand for $5 billion to fund his long-promised wall along the border with Mexico.

In their waning days in control of the House, Republicans know it’s their last shot to get Trump the money he wants for the wall that remains an unfulfilled promise of his presidential campaign. Trump during the campaign constantly promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but he is now asking it be paid for by U.S. taxpayers.

Democrats are determined not to give in to Trump’s demands. On Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., proposed extending funding at current levels for the Homeland Security Department through the end of the budget year — which would allocate some $1.3 billion for border security and fencing for 2019.

Schumer said Trump’s other option would be to accept a bipartisan bill negotiated in the Senate earlier this year providing $1.6 billion for border security and fencing.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said he’d have to think about the Democrats’ proposal.

Shelby added that the last time he talked to Trump, the president was “steadfast” on getting $5 billion for the wall.