US Senate Approves Spending Package Amid Likely Government Shutdown

US Senate Approves Last-Minute Spending Package Amid Government Funding Impasse

The US Senate has approved a compromise spending package, averting the worst impacts of an imminent government shutdown. The deal was reached after hours of delay, driven by Democratic anger over the killing of two people by immigration agents during a recent crackdown in Minneapolis.

The Senate passed the legislation on Friday by a bipartisan vote of 71 to 29. However, a shutdown is still set to begin on Saturday due to the House of Representatives being out of session until Monday. The Senate’s agreement will increase the chances that the shutdown ends quickly, potentially within days.

Under the deal, five outstanding funding bills were approved to finance most of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year in September. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been separated from the broader government funding package, allowing lawmakers to approve spending for other agencies while considering new restrictions on how immigration agents operate.

Senate Democrats had threatened to hold up the funding package entirely to force President Trump to rein in the DHS and his immigration crackdown. The proposed changes include requiring immigration agents to wear body cameras, prohibiting them from wearing face masks, and obtaining a search warrant from a judge rather than their own officials.

The House of Representatives will review the Senate’s agreement on Monday, when it returns from recess. Senate leaders believe that this will allow for a swift resolution to the funding impasse. However, there is also concern that the shutdown could drag out longer due to ongoing political polarization around President Trump’s administration’s immigration policies.

Source: Al Jazeera