Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday that Republicans are open to giving Democrats an amendment vote on a monthlong stopgap funding patch in exchange for votes to help Republicans pass a yearlong spending bill to avert a government shutdown.

A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance a stopgap government funding bill – hours before a partial shutdown of federal agencies was set to take effect Friday at midnight. The House-passed GOP plan to keep the government funded through September cleared the Senate’s filibuster in a 62-38 vote,

All eyes are on the Senate as time runs out to pass a funding bill and keep the government open. “Democrats need to decide if they’re going to support funding legislation that came over from the House,