WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats blocked a bill Thursday to keep the government funded through Dec. 11 because of a Republican provision to strip Planned Parenthood of federal money for a year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., moved immediately after the vote to try to avert an Oct. 1 government shutdown by filing a new bill that funds federal agencies but does not include the divisive Planned Parenthood provision. A vote on that bill could come as early as Monday.

Senators voted 52-47 Thursday against advancing a government funding bill by McConnell that would have transferred $235 million from Planned Parenthood to women’s health clinics that don’t perform abortions. Eight Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting against the motion to advance the bill.

Read the article “Senate Democrats Block Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood” on usatoday.com.