The Senate is expected to vote as soon as Sunday night to start advancing legislation to end the 40-day government shutdown, but there are obstacles that could drag the process out for many more days.
One of them is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been warning GOP leaders that he will obstruct passage of any bill that takes aim at the hemp industry in his state.
The hemp policy fight has been a major internal headache for the GOP, pitting Paul against fellow Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell. The release of Agriculture spending bill text Sunday showed McConnell, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, won out over Paul, with the inclusion of language that would crack down on some intoxicating hemp products.
Paul said late last week that he has warned GOP leaders that he plans to drag out Senate passage of any shutdown-ended deal if he didn’t get alternate language he’s been pushing in the hemp fight.
“I’ll vote no, but it also it’ll take them five days to pass this,” Rand said in a brief interview Thursday. He argued his fellow Senate Republicans were pushing policies that would “kill an entire industry.”
