A funding bill to avert a US government shutdown has cleared its first hurdle in the House of Representatives. Now it goes to Senate, where minority democratic party could block it, as they try to leverage budget and immigration deals. If Congress fails to approve this short-term spending bill by midnight Friday, many government agencies will be forced to close. Democrats want the bill to protect immigrants brought to the US illegally as children - also known as "dreamers." The bill is supposed to keep the government running until February.