WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama signed a “clean” Appropriations Act that funds the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September 2015, according to the White House press-pool report.
"The president has signed H.R. 240 – Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015. Photojournalists, and only photojournalists, witnessed the signing," the report, released by the White House press office, said.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives voted 257 — 167 to pass a $40 billion bill to fully fund the DHS through September 30, without restrictions on Obama’s executive immigration actions. The US Senate voted on the legislation on February 27.
“They keep us safe every single day. And we want to make sure that they’ve got the resources and support that they need to do the job,” he added.
Last week, Obama approved a funding extension for the DHS through March 6, 2015, which averted a partial shutdown of the agency.
The agreement to pass the bill was reached in the Senate when the Republican leadership removed language that defunded Obama’s executive action on immigration.
US Senate Democrats have blocked previously proposed DHS funding bills from coming to a vote because Republicans had included provisions barring funding for Obama’s November 2014 executive order, which provides deportation relief for millions of illegal immigrants living in the United States.
