U.S. House passes bills that would re-open Agriculture, Transportation agencies

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed two bills that would re-open the departments of Agriculture, Transportation and other agencies that have been largely shuttered for nearly three weeks.

The House, led by Democrats, on Wednesday passed a bill to re-open the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service. Senate Republicans have not shown an interest in taking up the bills.

A quarter of the U.S. government has been closed, with 800,000 federal workers either furloughed or working without pay, due to a funding standoff over Republican President Donald Trump's proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Reporting By Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan; Editing by Dan Grebler)