The vote to proceed was 62-38, triggering a process that is expected to lead to passage of the funding bill later today and avoid a shutdown. Lawmakers had a deadline of midnight on Saturday.
A group of 10 Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), on Friday voted to advance a Republican-crafted bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, taking a crucial step toward avoiding a government shutdown while infuriating many within their own party.
$13 billion in cuts to nondefense spending as well as a $6 billion increase in defense spending are proposed in the bill and it is written to fund the government until the end of the fiscal year.