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U.S. NEWS Friday 8 december 2017

House passes stopgap spending bill to avert weekend shutdown

By ANDREW TAYLOR immigrants. Her stance was
ALAN FRAM noteworthy because GOP
Associated Press leaders are likely to require
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic votes for the
House on Thursday passed pre-Christmas spending bill.
a stopgap spending bill Pelosi returned from the
to prevent a government White House to oppose
shutdown this weekend Thursday’s stopgap bill.
and buy time for challeng- Fourteen Democrats sup-
ing talks on a wide range ported the measure, how-
of unfinished business on ever, while 18 Republicans
Capitol Hill. were opposed.
The measure passed mostly Among Republicans, the
along party lines, 235-193, conservative House Free-
and would keep the gov- dom Caucus had resisted
ernment running through the pending stopgap mea-
Dec. 22. The Senate was ex- sure earlier in the week,
pected to swiftly approve fearing it would lead to
the measure as early as a bad deal for conserva-
Thursday night and send it tives down the road. But on
to President Donald Trump. Thursday, the group’s chair-
The vote came as Trump man, Rep. Mark Meadows,
and top congressional R-N.C., said the group will
leaders in both parties hud- likely give leaders whatever
dled to discuss a range of President Donald Trump, left, listens with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., as support they need to pass
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis before
unfinished bipartisan busi- a meeting with congressional leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 7, the legislation.
ness on Capitol Hill, includ- 2017, in Washington. Meadows said they’ll help
ing the budget, a key chil- (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) it pass to avoid distractions
dren’s health program and share with you,” House Trump relied, “That’s very pathetically by the public from the GOP drive to push
aid to hurricane-slammed Democratic Leader Nancy true.” Those negotiations and most lawmakers but their treasured $1.5 trillion
Puerto Rico, Texas and Flor- Pelosi told Trump at the are sure to be tricky. Pelosi face deportation in a few tax bill through Congress
ida — and, for Democrats White House, ticking off is- staked out a hard line on months because Trump this month. That measure,
and many Republicans, sues including the opioid Thursday and insisted that reversed administrative which mostly benefits busi-
protections for immigrants crisis, funding for veterans any year-end deal would protections provided to nesses and upper-income
brought to the country ille- and an expired children’s include help for “Dreamer” them by former President people, is Trump’s and the
gally as children. health insurance program. immigrants, many of whom Barack Obama. Pelosi told GOP’s top remaining prior-
“We are here to make “All things that have bipar- have only known America reporters before the meet- ity and would be their first
progress. We have some tisan support in the Con- as their home. The immi- ing that “We will not leave major legislative triumph of
important issues that we gress.” grants are viewed sym- here” without helping the the year.q
FBI director defends his agency against Trump’s attacks

By SADIE GURMAN from his former national analysts and staff working
ERIC TUCKER security adviser for lying to their tails off to keep Ameri-
Associated Press the FBI and the revelation cans safe,” Wray said of
WASHINGTON (AP) — that an agent had been the agency he has led for
Countering strident attacks removed from a special just four months. “The FBI
on his agency from the team investigating the that I see is tens of thou-
president who appointed Trump campaign because sands of brave men and
him, FBI Director Christo- of text messages seen as women working as hard as
pher Wray on Thursday potentially anti-Trump. they can to keep people
defended the tens of thou- Wray, who served as a top they will never know safe
sands of people who work Justice Department official from harm.”
with him and declared, under President George W. The White House on Thurs-
“There is no finer institution, Bush and was nominated day tried to soften Trump’s
and no finer people, than as FBI director by Trump, message, denying that
the men and women who has faced Republican criti- there was any discrepan-
work there and are its very cism over perceived politi- cy between his comments
beating heart.” cal bias in special counsel FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a House Judiciary and those of the FBI direc-
Wray provided his first pub- Robert Mueller’s probe of hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, on tor.
lic defense of the nation’s possible Trump campaign oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Press secretary Sarah
premier law enforcement ties to Russia during the (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Huckabee Sanders said
agency since a weekend 2016 presidential election ing, “My experience has But he also conceded that Trump agrees field agents
of Twitter attacks by Presi- and in the handling a year been that our reputation is agents do make mistakes are “appreciated and
dent Donald Trump, who earlier of an FBI investiga- quite good.” and said there are process- respected,” but said the
called the FBI a biased in- tion into Hillary Clinton’s use Wray sought to fend off es in place to hold them president’s “issues are with
stitution whose reputation of a private email server the attacks on the agency accountable. the political leaders in the
is “in Tatters — worst in His- that ended without crimi- by expressing pride in the “There is no shortage of FBI under former director
tory!” and urged Wray to nal charges. agents, analysts and oth- opinions out there, but Comey, particularly those
“clean house.” Although he did not men- er personnel who he said what I can tell you is that that played politics with
The outburst from the presi- tion Trump’s criticism, Wray were working to protect the FBI that I see is tens of the Hillary Clinton email
dent followed a guilty plea rebutted him directly, say- Americans. thousands of agents and probe.”q