US House passes security funding bill blocking immigration actions

WASHINGTON - U.S. House Republicans voted to block President Barack Obama's executive immigration initiatives as they passed a Department of Homeland Security spending bill on Wednesday.
 
Obama has threatened to veto the measure, setting up a potential showdown over funding for the sprawling agency that spearheads domestic counterterrorism efforts and secures U.S. borders, airports and coastal waters. Current DHS spending authority expires on Feb. 27.
 
But the bill, passed on 236-191 vote in House of Representatives, next moves to the U.S. Senate, where it faces an uncertain fate. Senate Republicans have said they are not sure whether they will be able muster the 60 votes needed to advance it past procedural hurdles erected by Democrats.  —Reuters

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