The U.S. Senate on Friday night averted a looming midnight shutdown of the federal government by passing a funding bill after approving a key procedural vote with the support of enough Democrats. The measure passed 54-46,

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,