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House OKs bill to fund government through September

Posted at 5:03 PM, May 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-03 17:03:58-04

The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve a $1.1 trillion government funding bill that keep agencies operating through the end of September.

The vote was 309 to 118.

The Senate is expected to clear it Thursday and send to President Donald Trump for his anticipated signature before Friday’s deadline when the government would run out of money.

The agreement, which was reached after weeks of talks, was a rare bipartisan achievement for Congress and the White House. But leading up to the vote, Republicans and Democrats battled over who which party came out on top.

Republicans cited boosts in funding for border security and the military as preserving conservative principles.

Democrats cited increases in domestic programs and blocking money from going to Trump’s campaign promise of a border wall with Mexico, a key demand for Democrats.

Both sides claimed wins for extending an important health insurance program for retired coal miners and for increasing funding for the opioid crisis. Avoiding a potentially damaging shutdown was also a win for all sides.