Democrats found themselves in the middle of an all-out civil war on Friday as the Senate prepared to advance a six-month government funding bill to avert a shutdown set for midnight. The Republican-crafted legislation dramatically split Democrats,

The Senate voted to advance a spending bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. The vote exposed a deep rift among Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arrives to speak with reporters as Republicans work to pass an interim spending bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies funded through September, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tussled with reporters Friday, pushing back against the notion that the Democratic Party is fractured.

Dozens of House Democrats sent a letter to Schumer on Friday to express their “strong opposition” to his plan to back the Republican measure

By Richard Cowan, Bo Erickson and Gabriella Borter WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a stopgap spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown, after Democrats backed down in a standoff driven by anger over President Donald Trump's campaign to slash the federal workforce.