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,

Senate Democrats joined Republicans Friday on a key procedural vote to advance a bill that would ultimately avert a government shutdown at midnight, despite intensifying pressure from across the Democratic Party to block the GOP’s funding measure.

The measure had a pathway for passage following the cloture vote on the bill, which passed on a near-partisan basis in the House but requires 3/5 approval in the Senate.