Trump signs spending bill as partial US government shutdown comes to an end

Washington DC - President Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Tuesday, ending the four-day partial government shutdown sparked by Democratic opposition to funding for the federal agency carrying out his sweeping immigration crackdown.

Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Tuesday, ending the four-day partial government shutdown sparked by Democratic opposition to funding for the federal agency carrying out his sweeping immigration crackdown.
Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Tuesday, ending the four-day partial government shutdown sparked by Democratic opposition to funding for the federal agency carrying out his sweeping immigration crackdown.  © AARON SCHWARTZ / AFP

The legislation landed on Trump's desk at the White House after it was passed by a narrow 217-214 margin in the Republican-controlled House earlier in the day.

Twenty-one Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the funding package, and an equal number of Republicans opposed it rather than meet Democratic demands to reform the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Negotiations for new money for DHS broke down following the killing of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis, the Minnesota city that has become the flashpoint for the Republican president's immigration crackdown.

Trump tells Noem to ease off on protesters but issues ominous instruction to federal forces
Donald Trump Trump tells Noem to ease off on protesters but issues ominous instruction to federal forces

On Friday, the Senate passed a package clearing five outstanding funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, along with a two-week stopgap measure to keep DHS operating while lawmakers negotiate immigration enforcement policy.

Trump, who presided over a record 43-day government shutdown last summer, had been pressuring Republicans to adopt the spending bill and end the closure, which began on Saturday.

"This bill is a great victory for the American people," he said at the White House signing ceremony.

"Instead of a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts, we've succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting critical programs for the safety, security and prosperity of the American people," he added.

Cover photo: AARON SCHWARTZ / AFP

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