US House committee moves to advance bill to end partial government shutdown

The US House Rules Committee on Monday advanced legislation aimed at ending a partial government shutdown, clearing the way for a full vote in the lower chamber.

The funding package passed the committee in an 8–4 vote along party lines. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on final passage on Tuesday.

The partial shutdown began over the weekend after the Senate advanced legislation that did not include funding for the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to reopen agencies covered by five regular appropriations measures, while extending a two-week stopgap funding bill for DHS.

The shutdown, which started at 12:01 am on Saturday, left large parts of the federal government in limbo and affected about 45 percent of the federal workforce. The impasse stems from a sharp political dispute over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, with particular focus on developments in Minnesota.

Agencies impacted by the shutdown include the Pentagon, the Treasury Department, and the departments of State, Transportation, Homeland Security, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

If the House passes the bill as expected, any disruption to government operations is likely to be limited. Lawmakers in Washington have shown little appetite for a prolonged shutdown like the one late last year that lasted 43 days.