WASHINGTON - A partial government shutdown was avoided Friday after the U.S. Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through the end of September. Senators sent the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk for approval in a 54-46 vote.

The U.S. Senate on Friday looked set to advance a bill that would prevent a partial government shutdown, after a sufficient number of minority Democrats joined with the majority Republicans in support.

The advance vote: The Senate voted 62-38 to end debate on the bill – a cloture vote – and advance it to a final vote. Nine Democrats and one independent, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted in favor of cloture. That vote allowed the bill to pass with a simple majority in the final vote.

Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada were among the first Democrats to publicly back the Republican funding bill, arguing that a shutdown would only strengthen Trump’s hand. They were joined by six more Democrats—Dick Durbin of Illinois,

Ten Democrats voted to advance the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through September, setting the stage for the Republican-led measure to pass