The US Senate has enough votes to approve a temporary govt funding bill

The US Senate has enough votes to approve a temporary govt funding bill to avert a shutdown on Friday; voting is ongoing in a game on brinksmanship at Congress.

The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, is expected to pass the Senate with bipartisan support. 

Congress must approve a funding bull by the end of today or the government will shut down. 

This follows Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announcement on Wednesday night that a deal had been on the funding measure after an earlier bill, which included a provision to suspend the debt limit through December 2022, was blocked by Republican senators this week.

The S&P 500 and the Dow tumbled on Thursday with worries over economic growth and a possible government shutdown. Democratic divisions have been imperilling President Joe Biden's agenda to invest in infrastructure, expand social services and address climate change.