U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law on Tuesday the budget bill approved earlier in the day by the House of Representatives, allowing the federal government to reopen after a three-day partial shutdown and initiating negotiations on the budget for the Department of Homeland Security, particularly in light of the growing national debate surrounding raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We have successfully passed a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts unnecessary federal spending while supporting programs crucial to the security and prosperity of the American people,” he declared from the Oval Office of the White House as he signed the document.
The U.S. president thanked the members of Congress and senators present in the room for their efforts, including House Republican Leader Mike Johnson, who had to persuade nearly half a dozen members of his party to support the bill in order to secure its passage, according to The Hill.
The House of Representatives approved the budget allocations by a narrow margin of 217 to 214 votes. These allocations will allow most federal agencies to operate for the remainder of the fiscal year, with the exception of the department headed by Kristi Noem, which will only receive funding until Friday, February 13, due to demands from the Democratic Party to reform its operations following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, both 37-year-old Americans, at the hands of federal agents during mass raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
