By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top U.S. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Thursday said he would vote to advance a Republican stopgap funding bill, signaling that his party would provide the votes to avert a government shutdown.

Veteran Democrats privately believed Chuck Schumer’s decision on the shutdown was inevitable. Others were ready for the top Senate Democrat to lead them into their first big battle against President Donald Trump — and instead have been left fuming.

With a government funding deadline looming, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has reversed course on the temporary spending bill passed earlier in the week by House Republicans. He says he will now support the measure rather than prompt a shutdown,