Ten Senate Democrats helped Republicans advance a GOP-crafted stopgap spending bill, paving the way for it to pass ahead of the midnight deadline despite concerns from scores of their colleagues. The Democrats who voted to advance the measure were: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Sen ate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.). Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, also voted to advance the measure.  They joined every Republican except Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), who voted against the measure. Peters and Shaheen have announced they will retire at the end of their current terms. Schumer set off a furor among House Democrats, Senate liberals and the party’s base by announcing he would vote to keep the government open, with many accusing him of giving President Trump and Elon Musk carte blanche over the government through the remainder of the fiscal year. Schumer insisted otherwise, saying that the two would have total control over what workers should be deemed essential and nonessential in the event of a shutdown. “As bad as the CR is, allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option. A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer said. “It would give Donald Trump and DOGE the keys to the city, state and country.” ...read more read less