Senate aims to prevent government shutdown by midnight

The Senate is working to prevent a partial government shutdown as a deadline approaches. Democrats face a choice between supporting a spending bill they criticize or allowing funding to lapse. A procedural vote is expected Friday to gauge support. The proposed bill would fund the government through September, cutting non-defense spending by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion. This is the third short-term funding extension for the current fiscal year. Democrats express concerns over the bill's provisions, which grant the Trump administration more control over spending decisions. They argue this could negatively impact key programs and funding for the District of Columbia.