Senate rejects Democrats’ spending bill hours ahead of expected shutdown

The Senate on Tuesday spurned a Democratic stopgap spending bill, putting lawmakers a step closer to a government shutdown ahead of the midnight deadline. 

Lawmakers voted along party lines, 47-53, on advancing the package, which includes an extension of government funding and about $1 trillion in health care provisions. It needed 60 votes to advance. 

The vote came ahead of a second planned vote on the GOP’s House-passed, “clean” continuing resolution, ...