Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor Friday morning to defend his decision to support a Republican short-term funding bill that will effectively help avoid a government shutdown at the end of the day.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Republican senators don't have the votes to pass the GOP spending bill that was approved by the House and is instead pushing for a vote on a separate 30-day continuing resolution.

The party’s Senate leader said the GOP measure is better than enduring a shutdown, ahead of this weekend’s deadline.

The United States Senate is to vote Friday on the six-month government funding bill that was passed by Congress, and while it's unclear whether it will succeed in the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,