The House of Representatives managed to pass a continuing resolution (CR) on Tuesday, but it didn’t tackle the looming national debt at all.
This CR, by continuing federal funding at current levels through December 11, effectively kept the government running and prevented a shutdown. However, it didn’t make any headway against the staggering $40 trillion national debt or the $2 trillion deficit. Some Republican members, like Chip Roy from Texas and Andy Harris from Maryland, both part of the House Freedom Caucus, hinted they might oppose a separate rule that sets terms for future bills as a reaction to some of the CR’s provisions.
The resolution cleared with a vote tally of 370 to 48, which means 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats opted against it.
Among its contents, the CR included a delay on a hemp ban, blocked a proposal from the Office of Management and Budget for a rewrite of Uniform Guidance for financial support, and extended funding for agriculture, flood insurance, and veterans’ benefits. Notably, there were no spending cuts included in this package.
While Harris expressed that he might oppose the rule due to the CR’s delay in banning hemp THC products, Roy was more vocal, threatening to vote against both the CR and the rule that didn’t allow for any amendments. He believes the package should have cut funding for surveillance technologies like Flock Safety cameras and instead emphasized support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
NO ON CR. NO ON RULE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO AMEND AND FIX THE CR: The House of Representatives will be voting for a government funding continuing resolution TODAY that FAILS to deliver on common-sense policies for the American people and instead funds the following:
1)…
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) September 1, 2026
Roy raised other issues as well, including funding for abortions.
“I have similar concerns. Suspension, Hemp, CISA, Planned Parenthood, Surface Transportation (with no kill switch or flock fix), delay of OMB grant rule… to name a few. So Rule is an issue…” Roy stated on X Monday. (RELATED: Brouhaha Over Hemp Ban Delay Could Cause Major Funding Bill To Go Up In Smoke)
I have similar concerns. Suspension, Hemp, CISA, Planned Parenthood, Surface Transportation (with no kill switch or flock fix), delay of OMB grant rule… to name a few. So Rule is an issue… https://t.co/10J7Y9zUNe
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) August 31, 2026
To pass the CR swiftly, House leaders used a suspension of the rules, a method typically reserved for agreeable legislation. If they couldn’t settle on a rule to kick off debate, staying in session would have become unlikely, especially since lawmakers had just returned from August recess.
On Monday, Roy also sent a letter to key House leaders expressing his opposition to the CR, indicating that it allowed taxpayer money to be used for abortions.
“Throughout this Congress, we have worked aggressively through both reconciliation and the appropriations process to advance key conservative priorities, particularly protecting unborn life and ending taxpayer support for the abortion industry. Unfortunately, several of those priorities remain unresolved despite those efforts,” Roy wrote.
As of August 20, the national debt had exceeded $40 trillion, with the deficit hitting $2 trillion for the fiscal year 2026. The yield for the 30-year Treasury bond has skyrocketed to a 19-year high owing to the increasing debt, prompting the Department of Treasury to facilitate long-dated Treasury buybacks, doubling from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation.
The Senate had passed the package on August 8, just before their recess.
Disagreements lingered in both chambers about postponing the hemp ban set for November until December 11. On August 8, Republican Senator Ted Budd from North Carolina had proposed an amendment to remove the delay provision, but it didn’t pass.
The White House advocated for the delay, claiming it would enable lawmakers and industry stakeholders to negotiate a viable federal regulatory framework rather than suddenly shutting down a thriving multi-billion dollar sector.
