House Democrats help Republicans end government shutdown

Democrats voted to end a five-hour government shutdown started by Republican Sen. Rand Paul

Published February 9, 2018 8:58AM (EST)

Rand Paul   (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Rand Paul (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

The federal government officially shut down for the second time in less than a month late Thursday but reopened less than six hours later after the House and Senate passed a wide-ranging budget deal.

The Senate passed a two-year budget, 71 to 28, after with Kentucky Republican Rand Paul staged a short-lived filibuster to protest the elimination of the 2011 spending caps known as sequestration. Voting that began around 1:30 a.m. Friday morning and the House began their voting process at 5:30 a.m. and approved the bill 240 to 186, ABC News reported.

The budget package, which designates funding for the government on a continuing resolution through March 23, quickly went to the president's desk. Trump tweeted that he signed the bill on Friday morning.

“Just signed Bill,” he wrote. “Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!”

The bipartisan budget deal that passed is at odds with both liberal Democrats, as the status of DACA recipients is not addressed in the bill and fiscal hawk Republicans who object to deficit spending. More from ABC News on the $400 billion budget:

The two-year budget deal would lift caps on defense and non-defense spending by $300 billion over two years. It also includes: $6 billion to fight the opioid crisis; $5.8 billion for child care development block grants;$4 billion for veterans medical facilities; $2 billion for medical research; $20 billion to augment existing infrastructure programs; and $4 billion for college affordability.

The deal also raises the nation's debt ceiling until 2019.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced she would vote against the bill after an eight-hour filibuster-type speech of her own on Wednesday in support of DACA. Still, 73 Democrats in the House voted for the bipartisan package.

Thursday's shutdown was the shortest in history and the 20th since the 1970s, according to a tally by the Congressional Research Service.


By Rachel Leah

MORE FROM Rachel Leah


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Budget Deal Daca Deficits Donald Trump Dreamers Government Government Shutdown House Rand Paul Senate