House Passes Stopgap Funding Bill to Delay Hemp Ban and Avoid Shutdown
Federal agencies will receive funding until mid-December, and the federal ban on intoxicating hemp will be postponed. The House passed a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown before the elections and set up policy battles later in the year. The bill will keep federal agencies running on current budgets through December 11, allowing incumbents to campaign without the threat of a shutdown affecting political messaging. The legislation also temporarily blocks the White House from finalizing a rule to put political appointees in charge of approving federal grants and delays the ban on intoxicating hemp products.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise emphasized the importance of ensuring government funding and functionality, highlighting the chaos and uncertainty caused by last year's shutdown. The bill faced opposition from House hard-liners, including Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, who criticized the delay in cracking down on intoxicating hemp products. Despite the opposition, President Donald Trump is expected to sign the funding patch, which also blocks the Office of Management and Budget from finalizing its controversial rule on federal grantmaking approval.
The Senate-added language in the bill, along with a prohibition on new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, garnered support from House Democrats. They see the bill as a way to stop the OMB rule and make other helpful additions to the stopgap funding passed earlier in the summer. Democrats are looking to gain control of the House and Senate in the upcoming elections to increase their leverage in negotiations on government funding for the rest of the fiscal year. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole emphasized the impact of the elections on future negotiations and the need to adapt to the changing political landscape.
In conclusion, the House passed a stopgap funding bill to keep federal agencies funded until mid-December, delaying the federal ban on intoxicating hemp products. The bill aims to prevent a government shutdown before the elections and sets the stage for policy battles later in the year. Despite opposition from some House members, the bill is expected to be signed by President Trump and includes provisions to block the OMB rule on federal grantmaking approval and restrict new funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats are looking to gain control of Congress in the upcoming elections to strengthen their position in negotiations on government funding.