House passes bill to temporarily fund DHS

The House on Thursday passed a Democratic-backed bill to provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through Feb. 28.

The bill passed in a 231-180 vote, with five Republicans joining Democrats in voting for the measure. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) was the lone Democrat to vote against it. The bill is not expected to see any movement in the upper chamber.

{mosads}The legislation — introduced by House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman-designate Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) — would provide no new funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall. Democrats have brought up a series of clean funding bills in an attempt to place pressure on GOP lawmakers to break with the administration in their demand for funding for a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Its passage comes on the 34th day of the partial government shutdown, as negotiators continue to struggle to find a path forward to reopen the government.

Democrats have called on Republicans to reopen the government before negotiating how to best handle border security while President Trump has vowed not to sign any spending bill that doesn’t include funding for the wall.

Tensions between the two parties have intensified in recent days, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) retracting the president’s invite for the State of the Union until the government has reopened. 

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed growing frustrations with the ongoing shutdown and its impact on their districts.