US House passes stopgap spending bill to avert shutdown

WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved another stopgap bill to keep the federal government from shutting down, hours after President Donald Trump said he would "love" to see a shutdown if immigration legislation were not included.

By a mostly partisan vote of 245-182, the Republican-controlled House sent to the Senate a temporary spending bill - the fifth of the federal fiscal year that began in October - to extend most federal agency funding until March 23.

The bill does not contain changes to US immigration law, which was a key point of contention in a partisan standoff that led to a three-day partial shutdown last month.

The Senate was expected to vote on the new spending bill on Wednesday. Senators were likely to alter the House-passed bill and return it to the House for final passage. Senate Democrats were expected to balk at a House provision that would raise Pentagon funding through Sept 30, the end of the current fiscal year, without also raising non-defense spending.

Republicans and Democrats said they were making progress, however, on a budget deal that would set new, higher spending limits for defense and non-defense programs.

Last month's shutdown came after lawmakers failed to reach agreement on contentious budget and immigration issues.

Reuters