Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) became the third Senate Democrat to publicly support advancing the House-passed stopgap funding bill, as a potential government shutdown looms. The Senate will vote on cloture Friday for the spending bill that would keep the government funded at current levels through the end of September,

The Senate is expected to begin voting Friday afternoon on a Republican-led stopgap measure to keep the government funded ahead of a midnight deadline.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries sidestepped SEVERAL questions about the apparent resignation of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to vote for the continuing budget resolution passed by House Republicans and avoid a government shutdown.