Democrat-controlled House Votes to End Government Shutdown; Trump Digs in for Wall Most Americans Don’t Want

Published January 4, 2019

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Thursday night to end the federal government shutdown. They did not make any provision to fund the wall the president is demanding at the country’s southern border.

“Open up government, let’s have an adult conversation about how we protect our borders,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said to reporters Thursday evening before the House voted.

Nancy Pelosi was became Speaker of the House on Thursday.

The president equates a wall-that most Americans do not want -with border security. Democrats and security experts don’t see it from the president’s perspective.

“We’re not doing the wall. Does anybody have any doubt that we’re not doing the wall?” Pelosi declared Thursday.

Most of the House’s funding package originated in what the Senate voted on last month. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vows he will advance the House version unless the president approves.

Congressional leaders will meet at the White House with the president.

Even with Thursday’s House vote to end the government shutdown, both sides are bracing for a long shutdown.

In the meantime, some 800,000 federal employees are facing the prospect of not being paid. And the federal government is not providing services to many Americans, including American Indians.