Finding consensus on ending shutdown could extend beyond Wednesday

The Senate action on the bill to reopen government is expected to take until at least Wednesday to complete, then will be sent to the House for votes there. Speaker Mike Johnson says he hopes that his chamber will also be voting by Wednesday on the measure.

But there are a number of potential obstacles that could lengthen the Senate process of passing the bill, including potential amendments offered by Democrats unhappy with the deal.

And there could be at least one delaying GOP amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). He had warned Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he would prolong the process of passing the bill as many as five days if it contained language hindering his state’s hemp industry.

The government funding deal did include language striking an intoxicating hemp product ban, and Paul — opposed to that — ended up being the only Republican on Sunday to vote against that. Whether he will carry out his threat to now delay passage of the shutdown package was not clear.