WASHINGTON - A Republican bill to provide a three-week funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security cleared a procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives on Friday, indicating support for final passage in the chamber.
The House voted 240-183 along strict party lines to approve a procedural rule that allows a vote on the funding extension later in the day, ahead of a midnight deadline that would trigger a partial shutdown of the domestic security agency.
The House temporary funding extension is aimed at allowing Republicans to continue their fight against President Barack Obama's executive immigration orders that lift the threat of deportation from millions of undocumented immigrants.
The Senate on Friday passed a full-year $39.7 billion funding measure for Homeland Security that does not include any immigration restrictions. House Republicans have said they will only support a short-term extension of last year's funding levels.
They want to enter into negotiations with the Senate to work out differences between the Senate bill and a House-passed version that aims to block Obama's 2012 and 2014 immigration orders.
House passage of the stop-gap measure will put pressure on the Senate to also pass a temporary funding, or face a midnight cut-off in funds for the agency.
