The U.S. Senate on Friday night averted a looming midnight shutdown of federal government by passing a funding bill after approving a key procedural vote with the support of enough Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced Friday afternoon that the Senate would begin voting immediately on a procedural motion to end debate on a House-passed bill to fund the

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,