The bill, which was passed by the Senate Wednesday, now heads to the White House to be signed by US President Donald Trump after a number of moderate Democrats decided to vote in favor of the Senate bill without adding more migrant protections. The emergency funding bill will provide resources for asylum seekers on the US-Mexico border.
Shortly before the Thursday vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she and her colleagues would reluctantly pass the Senate bill.
"At the end of the day, we have to make sure that the resources needed to protect the children are available," she said in a statement obtained by Reuters. "In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill."
In a phone call with Pelosi, US Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration would notify Congress of the death of any migrant child within 24 hours and impose a 90-day limit on how long children can remain in an "influx" facility, where migrants are first sent upon crossing the southern border, NBC News reported.
However, some progressive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), censured Pelosi's decision to allow the House to hold the vote.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 27, 2019
The bill does not alter immigration policy or provide funding for Trump's proposed border wall between the US and Mexico.
