Washington DC, January 4: The House Democrats, on their first day in office, voted on a legislative package to reopen the government, rejecting US President Donald Trump's call for additional funding to build a wall on their border with Mexico. Along with the legislative package, the House of Representatives also voted on the stopgap spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security - without allocating additional funds for the wall - during their first day in the House. Five Republicans joined the Democrats in passing the bill 239-192.
The House of Representatives' move may add to the stalemate between the lawmakers and Trump due to the threat of a veto from the White House looming large. Earlier on Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence had reiterated, "if there's no wall, there's no deal," according to CNN. Democrats Seek Vote to End US Government Shutdown.
The new House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, slammed Trump's wall proposal as a "waste of money" and "immorality". With no relief in sight, the partial government shutdown marked its 13th day on Thursday.