US House Republicans move forward on Trump priorities, as August break looms

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to move forward on major legislation including a $1.15-trillion defense policy

bill, a stopgap measure to fund federal agencies through the November midterm elections and a $95-billion budget blueprint to fund a range of President Donald Trump's priorities including the Iran war and his partisan voter ID bill.



In a 214-211 vote roughly along party lines, lawmakers opened debate on the House's final agenda before leaving Washington on Thursday for a five-week August break that will be dominated by campaign events, as Republicans and Democrats vie for control of Congress in the final two years of Trump's

presidency.



Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hopes to consider a Senate CR before his chamber leaves town for its own break on August 6. But he said that would depend on negotiations with Democrats.