Senate rejects House budget, just hours to shutdown

WASHINGTON - The US Senate late Monday swiftly killed the latest House measure to delay President Barack Obama's health care law as part of a federal funding bill, bringing government to the brink of shutdown.

With barely two hours before a midnight deadline, Congress is in the thick of a bitter impasse over federal spending. If they fail to reach a deal, a shutdown ensues, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees to stay home.