The US Senate Monday rejected a budget bill passed by the Republican-led House of Representatives, with barely hours to go to avert a US government shutdown, BBC reported.
The Democratic-led Senate voted 54-46 against the bill, which would fund the government only if President Barack Obama's healthcare law were delayed a year.
The Senate also eliminated the provision repealing a tax on medical devices that are intended to help finance the healthcare law.
The vote left little progress toward reaching an agreement on funding the government by midnight Monday, when the current fiscal year expires.
If no agreement is reached by midnight (04:00 GMT), the government will close all non-essential federal services.
The shutdown would be the first in the US in 17 years.
