US House struggles to advance major federal funding bill

The U.S. House of Representatives struggled on Tuesday to advance a spending bill that would end a government shutdown as two Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it in a procedural vote.



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. The deal passed the Senate last week by a wide bipartisan margin and has the backing of President Donald Trump.



But in the House, Republicans who control the chamber were coming up short in a procedural vote, with 215 lawmakers voting for and 216 lawmakers voting against bringing it up for passage. Republican leaders held the vote open as they searched for a way to turn the tide.