WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate, facing a midnight deadline on Friday, unanimously approved a one-week extension of federal funding to avoid a government shutdown and to provide more time for separate negotiations on COVID-19 relief and an overarching spending bill.

The Republican-led Senate acted after the Democratic-majority House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the bill on Wednesday. It now goes to Republican President Donald Trump for his expected signing into law.

Without this legislation, an array of government programs faced partial shutdown, ranging from some airport operations to national parks and State Department activities.

Congress now will focus on passing a $1.4 trillion bill to keep federal operations running through September 2021.

If it fails to reach an agreement by Dec. 18, Congress would either have to pass another stopgap funding bill or trigger government closures.

Meanwhile, negotiators were trying to reach a separate agreement on a new coronavirus aid bill that they would then attach to the massive spending bill.

There were deep disagreements between the two political parties on shielding businesses from lawsuits, which Republicans were demanding, and a state and local government funding package Democrats sought.

Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, and Republican Senator Josh Hawley on Friday threatened to block a potential stopgap funding bill next week unless they got votes on legislation giving individuals $1,200 and children $500 in direct payments to ease economic burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Jonathan Oatis)