A short-term bill to fund the government through Dec. 11 overcame “a key procedural hurdle” in the Senate Monday, says Roll Call, just before Thursday’s deadline to avoid a shutdown.

Senators voted 77-19 to end debate on the continuing resolution — know as a CR — to keep the government funded.

Nineteen Republican senators — they included presidential wannabees Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Kentucky) — voted against moving the measure.

Two other GOP contenders, Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) and Marco Rubio (Florida), skipped the vote.

Independent Bernie “Feel the Bern” Sanders of Vermont, who is running for president as a Democrat, voted in favor of the bill. So did Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz of Hawaii, both Democrats.

Many Republicans have slowed the funding process down, seeking to reduce spending and cut support for Planned Parenthood.

The difficulties reached a climax Friday, when John Boehner, the Republican from Ohio, announced he would leave his speakership and Congress at the end of October.

“With a short-term spending bill expected to pass the Senate and then the House, Democrats are renewing their push to get Republicans to negotiate a longer bill that would roll back congressionally mandated budget caps on defense and non-defense spending,” says Roll Call.