House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) sponsored H.J. Res. 1, which would have reopened and funded the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump shutdown without funding the environmentally destructive and xenophobic border wall. The border wall threatens communities living along our southern border, has far ranging negative impacts on our lands, wildlife and waterways, and circumvents bedrock environmental laws. This bill was packaged with other bills to reopen and fund the federal government for the rest of the year. On January 3, the House approved H.J. Res. 1 by a vote of 239-192 (House roll call vote 9). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The Senate took no action on this legislation, but a different bill (H.J. Res. 31) was approved by Congress and signed by the President on February 15, which funded the government for the rest of fiscal year 2019 and included nearly $1.4 billion for fencing along the border.