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The House cleared a stopgap funding patch to fund the federal government until mid-December, preventing a government shutdown next month before Election Day and setting up two major policy battles for December.
The details:
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) grant rule: The bill would temporarily block the White House from finalizing a rule to overhaul the federal grantmaking process and put political appointees in charge of approving federal grants.
- Hemp loophole: It would also delay a ban set to kick in in November on intoxicating hemp products. The White House and hemp industry pushed to get the delay included in the Senate version of the bill. They are promising to regulate the products in lieu of proceeding with the ban on many of the products passed by Congress less than a year ago. Some lawmakers opposed delaying the new restrictions, threatening to block action, but ultimately the provision was included.
Why it’s important: There are concerns that the OMB rule could upend the federal research system and invite political interference into health research and funding decisions. Delaying implementation of the restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products allows these products to remain widely available with little regulation.
What’s next: President Trump is expected to sign the funding patch, after the White House endorsed the bill last month ahead of Senate passage.
- But: Both are only in place until December 11, when the funding patch ends. That means there is likely to be another fight on these rules when Congress works to pass another funding bill then.
Read more: Congress clears funding patch to avert pre-election shutdown; House votes to temporarily block Trump plan to politicize federal grants; Health care’s December pileup; Hemp ban set to be delayed a month after House passes funding bill
Published
September 2026