John Thune helped move the Senate government funding bill through the Senate early Saturday, where senators voted 90-6 to pass a continuing resolution that would keep federal agencies operating through Dec. 11. The legislation now goes to the House, which must act when members return from recess in September.
John Kennedy on Dec. 11
John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, described the timetable in blunt terms earlier this week. “Us having a budget done by December 11 — it takes on whiffs of frozen hell and donkeys flying,” he told reporters, adding, “I mean, it’s probably not going to happen.”
The vote came before the Sept. 30 deadline, giving lawmakers a short buffer before funding would have run out. A stopgap measure like this extends current funding without settling the larger disputes that usually delay a full-year deal, which is why it keeps agencies open while leaving the broader negotiations for later.
House approval and December fights
John Thune said Monday that the early vote followed a year of funding turmoil. “There’s been enough uncertainty this last year, and you know, unfortunately, I think through two government shutdowns that have extended for a long period of time, I think it’s better for everybody if there’s predictability,” he said.
One White House-backed provision in the bill would delay a ban on hemp-derived THC products through Dec. 11, and a push to strip out that delay failed. Mike Rounds said opponents of the hemp delay did not want to force a shutdown, even as the package advanced with the provision still intact.
The December deadline will put several unresolved items back on the table at once: the hemp delay, immigration enforcement funding, the White House’s approach to federal grants, and unfinished full-year spending bills. If the House approves the measure, the immediate fight pauses until December; if it does not, the October shutdown risk remains.
