Senate Democrats joined Republicans Friday on a key procedural vote to advance a bill that would ultimately avert a government shutdown at midnight, despite intensifying pressure from across the Democratic Party to block the GOP’s funding measure.

The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a stopgap spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown, after Democrats backed down in a standoff driven by anger over President Donald Trump's campaign to slash the federal workforce.

Following Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) announcement that he would help pass the House’s far-right spending bill, a