Partial government shutdown continues as House returns to weigh Senate-passed funding deal

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The partial government shutdown entered a third day on Monday morning, as House members are due to return to consider the Senate-passed funding package.

A bipartisan deal was struck Friday night to fund most of the government through the end of September, but the agreement still needs approval from the House. The package carved out a temporary extension for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding in the wake of two deadly shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

Democrats said they would not vote for the larger spending bill unless Congress considers legislation to unmask agents, require more warrants, and allow local authorities to help investigate any incidents.

As lawmakers in both parties called for investigations into the fatal shootings, President Donald Trump said he didn’t want a shutdown and negotiated a deal with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

Trump then encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.” The bill passed 71-29.

At first, Sen. Lindsey Graham held up the funding package over “sanctuary city” policies. Graham later reversed course and said he would allow speedy consideration of the funding if he could vote on senators suing if their phone records are seized.

Graham’s phone records were allegedly taken as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation.

The longest shutdown was two months ago and closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate over expiring federal health care subsidies.

That shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats broke away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 and Renee Good on Jan. 7.