Deal nowhere in sight as government shutdown looms

Deal nowhere in sight as government shutdown looms
Senate rejects House-approved budget bill; Obama plans talks
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The federal government on Monday was bracing for its first shutdown since 1996, as a deal to fund operations for the next budget year was nowhere to be seen on Capitol Hill.

If Congress doesn’t agree on a spending measure by midnight Monday, the government will partially shut down Tuesday morning. The Senate on Monday afternoon voted to send back to the House of Representatives a bill that keeps the government open until Nov. 15, while maintaining money for President Barack Obama’s health-care law and keeping in place a medical-device tax.

Obama said earlier Monday that he hasn’t given up hope that Congress will agree on a measure to keep the government running past midnight. “I am not at all resigned” to a shutdown, Obama said in brief remarks beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/endgame-unkn...=afterbell