Vice President Vance made a surprise visit to the Senate GOP lunch on Thursday, stepping into a bitter intraparty dispute over hemp-derived intoxicants that has frozen progress on the Republican agenda and threatened to delay a government funding stopgap.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who hosted the weekly gathering in the Mansfield Room just off the Senate floor, invited Vance to address his colleagues. The vice president received a warm round of applause as he entered the wood-paneled chamber, according to attendees.
A person familiar with the meeting said Vance was expected to advocate for the White House-backed proposal to postpone enforcement of a ban on hemp-derived products like delta-8-THC gummies and vapes, which are widely sold at gas stations and convenience stores. The language is attached to a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through Dec. 11, but the dispute has stalled the bill's advance.
The fight pits the White House and some Republicans—including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who argues the ban would devastate Kentucky's hemp industry—against GOP senators who contend that delta-8 and similar compounds pose a serious public health risk.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) is leading the charge to strip the delay provision from the stopgap. He told reporters he has secured Democratic cosponsors for his amendment and is negotiating with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to secure a floor vote.
"Working on it, working on it," Budd said. "We've now got Dem co-sponsorships on the amendment." He insisted the amendment is germane and could be adopted with a simple majority.
Budd said he spoke with President Trump earlier this week to voice his opposition to the delay, and he criticized White House legislative affairs staff for what he called muddying the issue. "I would ask the White House office of legislative affairs to actually be very clear on this, especially with their boss," he said.
The standoff has become a test of Republican unity as the party seeks to project competence ahead of the next election cycle. Some GOP strategists worry the infighting could undermine public confidence, especially as online political battles increasingly capture younger voters' attention.
Vance's involvement signals the administration is treating the hemp fight as a priority, but it remains unclear whether he can broker a compromise. The vice president has previously weighed in on working-class economic messaging, and his personal appeal may carry weight with skeptical conservatives.
Meanwhile, the funding bill's fate hangs in the balance. With the Dec. 11 deadline looming, leaders are under pressure to resolve the dispute quickly. The clash over hemp-derived THC is the latest example of how policy battles can spill into must-pass legislation, complicating the legislative calendar.
