By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress on Thursday advanced stopgap legislation to keep the federal government operating past Friday when funding expires, seeking to avert a self-inflicted disaster just before the Christmas holiday season.
The House of Representatives passed a bill by a vote of 231 to 188 that would keep federal agencies humming along at current funding through Jan. 19 and prevent a shutdown that would trigger political havoc in Washington.
The Senate could take up the measure on Thursday night, even as some Democrats pushed to include protections for young immigrants who entered the country illegally as children, popularly known as "Dreamers."
Republicans were able to pass the bill without much Democratic support in the House, but they will need at least eight Democratic votes in the Senate.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer declined to say whether Democrats would unite to defeat the bill in that chamber.
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"We need more senators voting with us," said Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham, one of more than a dozen House Democrats who met with Schumer to urge a "no" vote.
The House also passed an $81 billion disaster aid bill by a vote of 251 to 169 that would help Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several states hit by this year's hurricanes or wildfires.
If Congress passes the temporary spending bill, lawmakers will have less than a month to negotiate broader budget issues. Republicans are pushing for an increase in military spending, while Democrats want increases for medical research, opioid treatment and "anti-terrorism" activities.
The House bill includes a modest increase of $4.7 billion for the Department of Defense to be used for missile defense and ship repair.
As the House began debate on the bill, Hispanic lawmakers pressed Schumer to oppose the bill if it does not shield Dreamers from deportation.
President Donald Trump has eliminated protections for Dreamers, but has asked Congress to come up with a permanent solution by March.
McConnell said the Senate could hold a vote to protect the young immigrants if a bipartisan deal is struck in January.
Trump accused Democrats of pushing for a shutdown to shift attention from the tax cut plan that passed Congress this week. "House Republicans, don't let this happen," he wrote on Twitter.
The Trump administration does not want other elements added to the spending bill, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.
The House bill includes $2.85 billion to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program through March and funding for community health centers and the Indian Health Service.
The plan also would extend the National Security Agency's expiring internet surveillance program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, through Jan. 19. [nL1N1OL015]
Other provisions address funding for veterans, the Coast Guard and flood insurance.
Most government programs would be temporarily extended for a month at fiscal 2017 levels. Fiscal 2018 began Oct. 1, but Congress has failed to approve any of the regular funding bills for this year and instead has kept agencies running on a temporary basis.
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton and Katanga Johnson; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Bill Trott and Jonathan Oatis)
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
