The stopgap measure extends federal funding until December 11 and delays a contentious hemp product ban that sparked bipartisan lobbying against administration plans to restrict sales of intHC products derived from cannabis.

Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support—370-48 in the House and 90-6 in the Senate—the continuing resolution prevents a shutdown that would have disrupted everything from SNAP benefits to immigration courts. Trump signed H.R. 6500 into law Wednesday after Congress cleared the bill over the Labor Day weekend.

IRS Budget Survives Republican Push for Cuts

The measure maintains current IRS funding levels and blocks a second budget rescission of over $11.6 billion that conservatives had sought during the continuing resolution period. That funding had originally been rescinded in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of February 2026, but the new stopgap protects the agency's enforcement and modernization programs through mid-December.

The IRS budget preservation marks a rare concession in a Congress where Republicans have repeatedly targeted the agency's expanded staffing and technology overhaul funded by previous legislation.

Hemp Industry Wins Three-Month Reprieve

Section 2019 of the bill postpones until December 11 a Trump administration order that would have banned certain hemp-derived products containing intoxicating cannabinoids. High Times reported the hemp delay was written into the stopgap so it inherits the bill's expiration, giving the industry three more months to comply or lobby for permanent relief.

The hemp provision split conservative lawmakers between those who want to crack down on unregulated cannabis products sold in gas stations and convenience stores, and free-market advocates who argue the ban overreaches federal authority and harms legal businesses operating under the 2018 Farm Bill framework.

Shutdown Threat Returns in December

While the December 11 deadline lifts immediate pressure, it sets up a high-stakes funding fight in the final weeks before the Christmas recess. Prediction markets on Polymarket currently price shutdown odds at just 2.2%, but that reflects confidence in September, not the December cliff.

The continuing resolution punts decisions on controversial spending items including border wall funding, defense increases tied to the Iran war, and potential cuts to SNAP and WIC programs that Democrats fiercely oppose. With midterms approaching, neither party wants to own a shutdown heading into November, but the December timeline compresses negotiations and raises the risk of brinkmanship.

Congress will return from recess with 72 days to negotiate a full-year appropriations package or pass another stopgap into 2027, complicating budget planning for federal agencies already operating under multiple continuing resolutions this fiscal year.