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.

Schumer relented one day after he vowed Senate Democrats would thwart the "partisan" measure, saying the "chaos" of a government shutdown would be a worse option.

"I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down." Schumer's announcement significantly increases the chances that enough Democratic senators will side with Republicans to avoid a government shutdown,