WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House on Friday approved the second spending package aimed at funding part of the government agencies and programs until September, sending it to the Senate before the midnight deadline to prevent a partial shutdown.
The lower chamber approved the package, which was unveiled early Thursday, in a vote of 286 to 134.
The 1.2-trillion-U.S.-dollar package would provide funding for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and the legislative branch through the fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30.
The proposed package would allocate approximately 62 billion dollars in overall discretionary funds for Homeland Security, which was the most contentious part of the appropriation bills when negotiated by lawmakers.
Earlier this month, Congress authorized annual funding for several departments including agriculture, energy and the environment, housing, transportation, veterans and the Justice Department. ■