House OKs Democratic bill to reopen government
The House has passed a Democratic measure to reopen the government through Feb. 8 and provide $14 billion in emergency spending for recent hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters.
The bill was approved 237-187 on Wednesday, mostly along party lines, but appears dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. The White House says President Trump will veto the bill, calling it unacceptable without a broader agreement to address what Trump calls a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Some Republicans accused Democrats of politicizing disaster aid, noting that the bill put many GOP lawmakers who support Trump's proposed border wall in the position of voting against disaster aid for their own districts.
House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey said the bill would help families and communities recover from disasters while reopening the government.
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Seven Democratic lawmakers met with President Trump Tuesday at the White House to ask Trump to reopen the government while talks continue over border security.
New lawmakers who attended the meeting said the conversation was respectful, but none could name progress the talks made toward reopening shuttered government agencies.
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said Wednesday that the fact that lawmakers of both parties were sitting down and talking with Trump was progress in itself. And New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose said trust was built within members of the group. He said both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence "spent a lot of time" with the Democrats, calling the talks "very sensible discussions that involved listening and speaking."
Phillips said the group was not there to negotiate but "to better understand each other, which I think we did ... and perhaps provide a little bit of daylight through which we can walk."