US Senate passes Stopgap Spending Bill to avert September government shutdown

The Senate on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a stopgap spending bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown at the end of September, marking a rare bipartisan effort to resolve a looming funding crisis well ahead of the midterm elections. The legislation passed 90-6, with one senator voting present. It would keep the federal government funded at current levels through Dec. 11 while blocking the Trump administration from transferring funds to the Border Patrol, a provision Democrats had demanded. The agreement now faces an uncertain path in the House, where lawmakers are also eager to avoid another shutdown battle ahead of the November elections.

The bill includes another controversial provision: a one-month delay in a ban on intoxicating hemp products that is currently scheduled to take effect in November. The provision was added at President Trump’s request and sparked a revolt among some Republicans, briefly putting the entire funding agreement at risk. The Senate's passage came more than a month before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline, a significant departure from the last-minute funding battles that have become increasingly common in Congress. This time, the political pressure created by the upcoming midterm elections, combined with the fallout from two previous government shutdowns during the fiscal year 2026 cycle, helped senators reach an agreement quickly.

“After three unnecessary lapses in funding during the fiscal year 2026 cycle, putting the possibility of yet another harmful shutdown off the table should be a priority for each and every one of us,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. Democrats welcomed the provision restricting the administration's ability to redirect money to Border Patrol. The issue had been a central point of contention during the previous government shutdown.

“This is an important step forward to prevent a shutdown no one wants and provide the runway we need to negotiate funding bills in the months ahead as we fight to rein in Trump’s corruption and make life more affordable for families back home,” said Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

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Senate rejects effort to remove Hemp provision

The Senate also rejected an effort by a group of Republican senators to remove the one-month delay on the intoxicating hemp ban. The delay has drawn particular scrutiny because it would benefit the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff. He serves as chief executive of companies that distribute and sell intoxicating hemp-derived gummies and vapes, including products marketed under names such as “Trainwreck” and “Blueberry Cookies.”

The hemp provision became a major obstacle during Senate negotiations after Republican leaders, at the White House's request, added it to the temporary spending bill. The move angered several Republican senators and threatened to derail the broader funding agreement. Opponents of the delay argued that the ban should take effect as scheduled to address the rapidly expanding market for intoxicating hemp products, including beverages, gummies, cookies and vapes.

Such products are widely sold at gas stations, vape shops and convenience stores, where they are not subject to the same regulatory framework as products sold through licensed cannabis dispensaries. “It’s no accident that these products are made to look exactly like something that a kid would want,” Senator Ted Budd, Republican of North Carolina, said in arguing for allowing the ban to take effect as scheduled. He warned that the hemp industry was seeking “to permanently entrench their intoxicating products into the machinery of government.”

The Trump administration defended the delay, arguing that the hemp products could provide benefits to veterans and people seeking options for pain management. Senators ultimately voted 61-32 to reject the proposal to remove the delay, allowing the hemp provision to remain in the stopgap spending legislation. With the Senate vote complete, attention now shifts to the House, where lawmakers must decide whether to approve the agreement before the Sept. 30 funding deadline. If enacted, the measure would give Congress additional time to negotiate full-year spending bills while avoiding another potentially disruptive government shutdown.