U.S. House passes border security bill\, sends to Trump

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) - KENTUCKY, SAYING: "I would say to all my colleagues, he has indicated he's prepared to sign the bill." A stunning announcement on the Senate floor Thursday (February 14) from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ends days of doubt over whether President Donald Trump would agree to a bipartisan border security deal.

But Trump told McConnell he will also declare a national emergency - a move many Republicans had opposed.

The news - which came just minutes before the Senate voted to advance the bill - appeared to rule out another government shutdown.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was swift to react.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, (R) - CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "So the precedent that the president is setting here is something that should be met with great unease and dismay by the Republicans because if the president can declare an emergency on something that he has created as an emergency, an illusion that he wants to convey, just think what a president with different values can present to the American people." The bipartisan deal offers $1.37 billion for new fencing along the border with Mexico but does not grant Trump the $5.7 billion he wanted for the wall.

Declaring an emergency will allow Trump to tap other funds to build his long-promised wall but is nearly certain to provoke a heated court battle.

Both the Senate and the House passed the bill Thursday.

They're trying to avoid another shutdown after the last one reached a record 35 days and disrupted life for 800,000 federal workers.