The US government may avoid a potential shutdown after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a top Democrat, announced his support for a Republican funding bill. The bill, which funds the government through September, is expected to be voted on Friday afternoon.

Schumer, who had initially opposed the measure, said the decision was necessary to prevent Donald Trump and Elon Musk from drastically cutting federal programs. He called the bill partisan but warned that a shutdown would lead to severe disruptions.

Democrats face a dilemma: support the bill or block it and risk being blamed for the shutdown, which would begin at 23:59 ET on Friday. While they lack the numbers to pass their own funding proposal, they could still prevent the Republican bill from advancing if they unite.

The House of Representatives already approved the measure, which increases military spending by $6 billion while cutting $13 billion from other programs and expanding border security funding.

With negotiations at a critical stage, the decision by Schumer and other Democrats could determine whether the government remains open or enters a prolonged shutdown.