Yesterday, the House passed legislation to fund the government through Sept. 30 and thereby avert a shutdown at the end of this week. The measure now goes to the Senate, where Democrats must decide whether to support it and thereby hand Trump and Musk a blank check to continue their assault on the federal government.

Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said he would vote to end the filibuster, indicating sufficient support among other party members to allow vote on Republican bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said Democrats will stand in the way of efforts to pass a Republican-led budget patch that passed the House earlier this week with almost no bipartisan support.

Senate Democrats say they are prepared to vote against the Republicans’ bill if lawmakers do not strike a deal by Friday night.

Democrats are stuck between a rock and a hard place as they must choose between shutting down the government or folding to pressure from Republicans and President Donald Trump

Republicans will face a critical test of their unity when a spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September comes up for a vote

U.S. Senate Democrats were wrestling on Wednesday with how to respond to a stopgap funding bill passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, choosing between voting for a bill many of them oppose or allowing a government shutdown.

Live updates and the latest news as U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum kick in and the Senate turns to a government funding bill to avoid a shutdown.