Homeland Security to stay open as Congress OKs 1-week bill
Congress passed a one-week bill to avert a partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department, as leaders in both political parties quelled a revolt by House conservatives furious that the measure left President Barack Obama's immigration policy intact.
The final vote late Friday at the end of a long day was a bipartisan 357-60 in the House of Representatives, a little more than an hour after the Senate cleared the measure without so much as a roll call.
That sent the legislation to the White House for Obama's signature, which the president provided just a few minutes before midnight, capping a day of bruising political battles and rhetoric to match.
Spending for the department had been held hostage in a proxy battle over Obama's recent executive actions sparing millions of immigrants in this country illegally from deportation. Republicans won full control of Congress in November's midterm elections.
