WASHINGTON — Congress narrowly averted a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security late Friday.
Both the House and Senate passed a seven-day extension of funding for the agency, with the House acting just two hours before funding was set to expire at midnight. The House vote was 357-60. The Senate passed the measure by voice vote.
The successful last-ditch effort came after House Republican leaders failed to muster enough votes earlier in the day to continue funding the agency for three weeks.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., rallied Democrats to support the one-week extension before funding expired. She said that voting for the seven-day measure would put Democrats on a path toward possible passage next week of a $40 billion spending bill that would fund the agency through the end of September.
The Senate passed that bill early Friday, but House Republicans refused to take it up.