UPDATE: Budget is a Go – Democratic senators helped Republicans pass cloture, 62-38, to advance the GOP budget to fund the federal government through September 30 early Friday evening, per The Hill. Senate Republicans needed a total of 60 votes to prevent a filibuster that would sink the budget bill. It's headed to President Trump's Resolute Desk for his signature.

Sen. Angus King (I-ME) joined nine Democrats in supporting the GOP-led Senate, consisting of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) – who changed his mind about trying to shut down the government Thursday – Democratic Whip Dick Durban (IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), John Fetterman (PA), Kristen Gillibrand (NY), Maggie Hassan (NH), Gary Peters (MI), Brian Schatz (HI) and Jeanne Shaheen (NH). Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican who voted no. 

Question of whether it was smart or weak for Democrats to cede its remaining smidgen of power to the GOP, and thus to Trump, had kept Democratic leadership awake at-night for at least the past week. 

Between Schumer’s 180-turn and the cloture vote, The Onion ran this (satirical, if you’re not familiar) headline: “Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back from the Brink of Courage.” (Scroll down for details on Schumer's change of heart.)

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Awaiting a Ceasefire – Russia sent “additional signals” Friday to President Trump regarding a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine after special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to finalize the agreement already reached with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to The Kyiv Independent, which cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. In today’s Right Column Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay outlines latest evidence of Trump’s total devotion to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. In the Left Column contributing pundit Sharon Lintner decries Trump’s diminishing relationship with traditional allies via his tariff policy.

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No 'Schumer Shutdown' – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) did a “180” overnight and said he will vote in favor of the House bill to fund the government for six more months, NPR’s Morning Edition reports. Until late Thursday, Schumer was unified with progressive Democrats to down the House bill in the Senate. Republicans need eight Democratic supporters to avoid a filibuster, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will not vote with the GOP.

“I will vote to keep the government open, and not shut it down,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday.

Bad as the bill is, Schumer said, a government shutdown would be worse, giving President Trump the chance to ravage the federal government even more than he has since January 20.

What happened to the Senate Democrat plan to push a 30-day continuing resolution to force Republicans to give them seats at the table to renegotiate a funding bill the Democrats hate (it passed the House 217-213, with only one representative per side defecting)?

What happened to Congressional Democrats taking a stand against President Trump’s thorough deconstruction of the federal government?

“I think there’s a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). The prog-Democrat called a 30-day clean CR proposal a “meaningless gesture,” and called on Senate Democratic negotiators to “fight.”

For better or worse, the spending bill reflects the inherent difference between MAGA-unified Republicans and perpetually disorganized Democrats on Capitol Hill. 

Progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are calling for a vote against the spending bill, The Hill reports. Centrists Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) are caught between Schumer and the hard-left who wanted them to vote against the bill Friday.

If Schumer can’t find three more Senate Democrats along with the three centrists, himself and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has said previously he will vote for the bill, we will quickly find out the difference between a government shutdown and Trump’s second term.

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To the Court – Trump administration Acting Solicitor Gen. Sarah Harris has petitioned the US Supreme Court to allow the administration to enforce the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship (per SCOTUSblog). Three federal courts have issued orders to put a stop on Trump’s EO ending birthright citizenship, on constitutional grounds. 

Harris in her brief argued the orders “transgress constitutional limits on courts’ powers” and “compromise the Executive Branch’s ability to carry out its functions.”

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Back to Work – Calling mass firings of probationary federal employees by the Office of Personnel Management a “sham,” US District Judge William Alsop ordered the departments of Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs to “immediately” offer them their jobs back, per Politico. (Many of the probationary employees were not new hires, but longtime employees who had just received promotions, according to NPR’s Morning Edition). Alsop is San Francisco district federal judge appointed by President Clinton.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa