Democrats OK bills reopening gov’t

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) speaks with reporters outside the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on January 3, 2019. (Photo by Alex Edelman / AFP)

The new US House Democratic majority on Thursday approved two measures that would end a two-week partial government shutdown, but an impasse remains as the bills provide no money for President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Trump has threatened a veto of the legislation that would fund homeland security operations until February 8 and several other agencies through September because they do not provide any money for a wall that Trump has demanded by constructed on the US border with Mexico.

The Republican-run Senate has said it may not even vote on the legislation.

The new House speaker, veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi, stood firm shortly before the vote saying no funding for a border wall would be made available.