US Senate averts shutdown, delays Trump voting bill and hemp ban

The Story in Brief

The US Senate passed a stopgap spending bill 90-6 to fund the government through December 11, averting a shutdown before the midterm elections. The bill blocks President Trump from transferring funds to Border Patrol, a key Democratic demand. A separate provision, inserted at Trump's request, delays by a month a ban on intoxicating hemp products that Congress had approved last year. The White House says the delay helps veterans managing pain, though the hemp distributor benefiting is run by the son-in-law of Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

Earlier, Trump had demanded the Senate stay in session to pass the SAVE America Act, a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill. The push collapsed after Republican senators, including Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, acknowledged they lacked the votes. Instead, they will try to attach elements of the voting bill to a broader GOP budget package in September. The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general and passed a Russian sanctions package before adjourning for summer recess.