Trump-backed deal to end shutdown faces tight House vote

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will try to pass a deal that would end the latest government shutdown on Tuesday over opposition from an unusual alignment of Democrats and hardline conservatives.

The legislation would fund defense, healthcare, labor, education, housing and other agencies until October, and temporarily extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security while lawmakers negotiate possible changes to immigration enforcement.

House passage would send it to Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

The deal passed the Senate last week by a wide bipartisan margin and has the backing of President Donald Trump. But it could face difficulty in the House. 

Democrats are demanding new restraints on Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, following the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.

Hardline Republicans have also threatened to block the legislation unless it includes provisions requiring proof of U.S. citizenship from those registering to vote and photo IDs from voters who cast ballots.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that proposal did not belong in the spending bill. “Republicans are serious about governing. We’ll demonstrate that,” he said. 

Trump urged lawmakers on Monday not to change the bill, which would risk prolonging a partial government shutdown that took effect on Saturday.

The vote could be close. House Republicans have only a 218-214 seat majority, meaning they can lose only one Republican vote if Democrats unite against it. 

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party would vote “no” in an initial procedural vote expected on Tuesday morning, though some may support the package if it clears that initial hurdle. 

A prompt end to the shutdown would avert widespread disruption to government services and the economy. The most recent shutdown lasted a record 43 days in October and November, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and costing the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion. 

(Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Chizu Nomiyama )