House Approves Bill To Keep Government Open As Senate Democrats Threaten To Block It

WASHINGTON - The House approved a short-term spending bill Thursday to avoid a government shutdown, but passage was in doubt in the Senate as Democrats threatened to block it over the absence of a deal on undocumented immigrants.House Republican leaders prevailed in lobbying the conservative House Freedom Caucus and defense hawks who demanded more money for the military in exchange for their votes.The bill passed 230-197.But a government shutdown on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration appeared likely as Democrats signaled they had rallied enough opposition to stop the measure from passing in the upper chamber.House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., delivered a warning to Senate Democrats that they would pay a political price if they block the bill.“Senate Democrats need to take this seriously and they need to not shut the government down,” Ryan told reporters following the House vote.