Senate passes bill mostly funding DHS, heads to House

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill to mostly fund the Department of Homeland Security, sending the measure to the House.

The bill is designed to end the 48-day shutdown of DHS. The Senate agreed via voice vote to send the bipartisan deal to the House, which is not expected to vote on the legislation until lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., on April 13, Fox News reported.

The Senate vote comes after GOP leaders endorsed a two-track approach to fully fund DHS on Wednesday, with President Trump giving lawmakers a deadline to end the funding lapse.

The Senate bill is the first phase of the plan to fund as much of DHS as possible on a bipartisan basis.

The two agencies of DHS that are not funded in the bill are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Republicans have said that they will seek three full years of funding for both agencies in a party-line budget reconciliation package that will bypass Democrats’ opposition. Trump says he wants that package on his desk by June 1.