VOA NEWS

June 28, 2019

(This) is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.

The House of Representatives voted 305 to 102 to approve a Senate measure to provide additional money for emer-
gency aid for the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democrats gave up on an effort to add additional migrant protections to a Senate-passed border aid bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was urgent to secure the funds that the legislation would provide.

"The children come first. At the end of the day, we have to make sure that the resources needed to protect the chil-
dren are available. Therefore, we will not engage in the same disrespectful behavior that the Senate did in ignoring
the House priorities."

The bill now goes to President Trump for his signature. Trump had threatened to veto the House version of the bill,
which would have more stringent care requirements for detained migrant families and children.

Ten U.S. Democratic presidential contenders take the stage in just about an hour in Miami, Florida, for the second of
two debates this week.

Democratic pollster and strategist Brad Bannon calls former Vice President Joe Biden the big guy in the race for the
Democratic nomination. Bannon says that hopefuls will be gunning for him.

"I thinks he is going to be a target in this debate and he has to demonstrate that he can hold the zone and he can't
make a flub."

In addition to Biden, Vermont Senators Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete
Buttigieg, will be on the dais.

The candidates have been campaigning for months in the early states where they will hold party nominating contests
next year.

For more, visit our website voanews.com. This is VOA news.

Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper asked NATO allies Thursday to help the United States mount a broad effort
against Iran but he came up empty.

AP's Sagar Meghani has details from Brussels.

Here at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Esper pushed a global campaign to protect international waterways from
Iranian aggression, ranging from surveillance to perhaps even escorting ships.

"Privately, I had a few come up to me and express interest in pursuing further what our requests were of them."

But there were no firm commitments and Esper says the U.S. will be back here next month to give more information
about the threat to allies who have been looking to scale back tensions.
Esper says that's his goal, too, but "No one should mistake restraint for weakness."

Sagar Meghani, with the acting defense secretary, Brussels.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked a citizenship question on next year's census at least for now.

We get details from AP correspondent Shelley Adler.

Initial reaction to the Supreme Court's decision on the citizenship question for the upcoming census was not surpris-
ingly split along party lines.

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham underset why the Trump administration wanted the question added.

"I think a lot of people believe that how much money is at stake. It's based on the number of people should be relat-
ed to those here legally, not illegally."

Now the Democrats in Illinois, Senator Dick Durbin: "It was a carefully devised political strategy to discourage His-
panics from reporting their status to the census takers and it was for political reasons."

Shelley Adler, Washington.

Late Thursday, President Trump on Twitter says (he) asked his lawyers to explore whether the census can be delayed
until the court can get more information. The U.S. Constitution mandates the census every 10 years.

The Commerce Department says the economy grew at a solid 3.1 percent rate in the first three months of this year.

AP's Ed Donahue reports.

Economist Hugh Johnson says the first quarter boost was in anticipation of tariffs.

"U.S. manufactures of course tried to get a lot sold. Other countries around the world see a so big increase in ex-
ports."

As the president prepares to talk about tariffs with China's president, Johnson expects the level of international trade
in the first quarter to fade as the year goes on.

"Tariffs will take a bite out of U.S. economic growth when we start, when we see the numbers of the second, third
quarter and the fourth quarter."

Economists believe growth has slowed in the current quarter to around 2 percent.

The Trump administration expects strong growth, above 3 percent to continue.

Ed Donahue, Washington.

A mixed day on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrials lower but the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ in positive
territory. The Dow lost point zero four percent. The S&P gained point three eight. The NASDAQ added point seven
three percent.
I'm David Byrd, VOA news.