Senate seeks votes to prevent government shutdown

The Senate is working to prevent a partial government shutdown as a deadline approaches. A procedural vote on a spending bill is set for Friday, requiring at least eight Democratic votes to advance. 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 significant discretion over spending. They also oppose cuts to the District of Columbia's budget and reductions in IRS funding.