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US House Elects Pelosi As Head: Passes Bills to End Shutdown, Ignores Trump’s Threat

US House Elects Pelosi As Head: Passes Bills to End Shutdown, Ignores Trump’s Threat
folder_openUnited States access_time5 years ago
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Local Editor

The new US House Democratic majority on Thursday approved two measures that would end a two-week partial government shutdown, but an impasse remains as the bills provide no money for President Donald Trump's border wall.

Trump has threatened a veto of the legislation that would fund homeland security operations until February 8 and several other agencies through September because they do not provide any money for a wall that Trump has demanded be constructed on the US border with Mexico.

Trump has refused to sign any legislative package that will not include $5 billion in funding for the wall, a concession Democrats have proved unwilling to accept. 

The Republican-run Senate has said it may not even vote on the legislation, which is expected to be dead upon arrival to the upper chamber, thereby prolonging the government stalemate and shutdown. 

The new House speaker, veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi, stood firm shortly before the vote saying no funding for a border wall would be made available.

She was elected Thursday as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who will be returning to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago.

“The floor of this House must be America’s Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions,” she said.

On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News that "if there's no wall, there's no deal" to end the shutdown, echoing the commander-in-chief's border wall talking points. 

Congressional leaders from both political parties are scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Friday morning in hopes to end the shutdown impasse.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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