Elon Musk, tapped by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to prune the federal government, on Wednesday pressured Republicans in Congress to reject a stopgap spending bill, which would trigger a partial government shutdown.
Musk said Congress should pass no laws until Trump returns to the White House next month, but some House of Representatives immediately said they would vote for the stopgap bill.
The Tesla chief executive and world's richest person, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump get elected, said lawmakers who vote to extend government funding past Friday should be voted out of office.
That could complicate efforts to avert a shutdown that would disrupt everything from air travel to law enforcement days before the Dec 25 Christmas holiday.
"This criminal bill should NOT pass," Musk wrote on X, which he owns.
Unless Congress acts, the federal government will run out of money to fund operations on Saturday. Negotiators on Tuesday agreed on a deal to extend funding through March 14.
The tentative deal would likely keep the roughly $6.2 trillion federal budget at its current level, and includes $100.4 billion in fresh disaster aid as well as $10 billion in economic aid for farmers.
House Republicans who helped negotiate the bill said Musk's opposition could complicate passage.
"They are very influential guys and people put a lot of stock in what they are saying," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, referring to Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump also tapped to propose ways to cut government spending and who also voiced opposition to the deal.
"There's never an easy fix to anything around here," Cole said.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News that he had told Musk and Ramaswamy on Tuesday that his Republicans hold a narrow 219-211 majority in the House and will not get their new 53-47 Senate majority until Jan 3. He said the bill was necessary to keep the government operating until Trump and his fellow Republicans have full control of Congress and can fully enact promised bigger spending changes.
"Elon and Vivek and I are on a text chain together, and I was explaining to them the background of this," he said. "They understand the situation."
RESTIVE REPUBLICANS
Johnson already faces opposition from many of his fellow Republicans, who object to additional spending and unrelated measures that have been added to the package.
Democrats described Musk's proposal to pass no new legislation until Trump takes office on Jan 20 -- which would mean a monthlong government shutdown -- as evidence that the chaos that has marked the House Republican majority of the past two years could continue into Trump's four-year term.
"Any American can weigh in, but what we need to do is fund government, and it's a good test of who the responsible party is to fund government before the holidays," Democratic Representative Ro Khanna told Reuters."
Trump in the past has sometimes voiced support for government shutdowns, and the longest one in U.S. history -- which stretched through 34 days in December 2018 and January 2019 -- came during his first term in office.
Trump advisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Musk has emerged as one of the biggest spenders in U.S. politics this year, and his threat could resonate with some Republicans. It likely carries less weight with Democrats who represent solidly liberal areas, or senators from both parties who will not be up for reelection for another six years. Musk tried and failed in November to influence the outcome of the Senate Republicans' leadership contest.
Several House Republicans said they would vote for the package despite Musk's opposition.
"I'm not sure he understands the plight of working people when it comes especially to farmers and people devastated by disasters," said Representative Glenn Thompson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee. He predicted the bill would pass "with plenty of votes."
Johnson is considering bringing the bill up for a vote using a maneuver that bypasses hardline members of his party, according to a House leadership staffer with knowledge of his plans. That method would require a two-thirds majority, rather than the simple majority usually needed in the House.
Johnson has used that approach repeatedly, relying heavily on Democratic support to pass measures opposed by parts of his fractious majority.
A wide range of government services would be disrupted if Congress does not act before Saturday, including agencies like the Pentagon and NASA that do business with Musk's companies.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who is retiring, said Trump needs to tell Republicans whether to support the bill or not. "Absent direction, confusion reigns," he wrote on X.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
64 Comments
plasticmonkey
Thompson doesn't sound sufficiently loyal to the world's richest man.
And it will be MAGA's fault.
dagon
The nigh half-trillionaire Supreme Oligarch who bought the presidency has spoken.
Thank the SC and Trump for fully enabling American oligarchy.
https://truthout.org/articles/in-dnc-speech-sanders-says-overturning-citizens-united-should-be-a-priority/
Underworld
Musk needs to realize that he wasn’t elected and isn’t wanted.
SomeWeeb
Musk needs to trip and fall out a window already. Everything would be better without him. Didn't Trump campaign on unelected officials?
Yrral
Go.pound sand,he will.kearn how the beast works in Washington
JJE
Musk has several army corps of supporters now that he is cruising with Trump. He could well be presidential timber down the track.
Peter Neil
he should be worrying more about his security clearance that’s in jeopardy.
and shut up. no one elected him to anything.
Underworld
JJE
Nobody cares. I also expect a falling out sometime soon. Two people with such outsized egos won’t stay together for long.
Nope. He doesn’t have broad enough support. Sure, he has weirdo, tech-bro, fanboys. But outside of that, not much.
Peter Neil
you should look up Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the constitution.
https://www.usconstitution.net/constkids4-html/
Underworld
Democrats shouldn’t play ball. The American people voted for this government, let them find out what that means.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's great but Musk will be gone long before most of the senators will be.
GBR48
Musk is key to Trump's power. When he takes office, he will have both houses and the supreme court. If he also has access to Musk's vast wealth, he will be the most powerful leader in American history. All the limits and blocks he faced first time around, will no longer be there.
Of course if the Democrats had nor pursued him in the courts after he left office, he may well have drifted away from politics and back to TV, golf and hotels. An alternative reality storyline there for Netflix.
FizzBit
Typical corporate news supporting the swamp. Telling you how to think and not telling you the most important parts of this bill and why it should not pass. Musk is correct.
Extending for another 9 years - The Global Engagement Center..AKA the censorship department.
A continuing resolution that stops Trump and the DOJ from investigating Congress, especially about the report that the DOJ obtained the emails of Schiff and Swalwell proving they leaked classified documents to the media.
Blocking a REAL investigation into the Jan. 6 protests.
Pork, pork, and more pork.
OOOPS Dems and Reps, your pork spending news media control is coming to an end. You're just gonna have to start thinking for yourselves.
bass4funk
He doesn’t have to be, BUT he has to be loyal to the people that sign his paychecks that are closely watching him
And government workers will still get paid, relax
bass4funk
Oh, I don’t think so.
bass4funk
They never did.
Yes, since they already did so in 2016 and this government hasn’t officially taken over yet33 more days
Ah_so
The USA is getting the rulers it deserves - a narcissistic old man with the maturity and worldview of a child, and a piggy eyed South African multi-billionaire who looks like he's auditioning for the role of villain in a James Bond movie.
TaiwanIsNotChina
The Senate minority and filibuster remain. Also the Supreme Court likes to think it is nonpartisan and aims for a fig leaf of consistency.
Pretty sure people would have still gravitated to Failed Businessman.
TaiwanIsNotChina
2/3 of the senators are not up in 2026 and that is when there will be an accounting of what has happened so far.
plasticmonkey
I'm sure the farmers in Thompson's district will be thrilled to see their farm aid cut off. So will his constituents whose holiday season flights will be disrupted.
Underworld
GBR48
The Democrats didn’t pursue Trump in the courts.
Underworld
bass4funk
Democrats shouldn’t play ball.
They did before, which averted a shutdown.
The American people voted for this government, let them find out what that means.
People obviously have short memories. Let the chaos begin!
Norm
During the shutdown?
bass4funk
Still, something to be concerned about for them, I wouldn’t take a chance.
Since many of them voted for Trump they are very well aware of the tough times ahead
Who knows?
When they had power and leverage they did
Dems seem to, no arguments here.
Which is about to end in 33 more days
HopeSpringsEternal
Title of Article mis-leading, Musk wants lawmakers to not vote for current 'continuing resolution'/CR under consideration = wants new CR in order to avert a shutdown
HopeSpringsEternal
Musk's interesting new hybrid political wonk status, intentionally very transparent with media unlike traditional insider party heavyweights hiding in the shadows
bass4funk
Yes.
U.S. Postal Service employees (funded by postage revenue).
Federal Reserve employees.
Patent and Trademark Office employees (funded by application fees) will still be played.
Norm
How about the majority of government employees who receive the salaries from taxes?
dbsaiya
Inundated with nauseous photos every day of trump, MTG, Musk, gawd the list goes on and on. Musk somehow reminds me of Albert Speer.
HopeSpringsEternal
Musk is going to Mars on the DLT Express "Rocket"!
These Biden budgetary matters rather trivial politically, and the Biden budget runs thru Sept 30th, 2025, FYI
HopeSpringsEternal
Post Office privatization coming soon, US needs Post Office that works hard, just like Japan's private sector mail delivery!
ok1517
You really got to ask yourself what Elonia Musk's position is.
The new VP, the coming POTUS, or just an Australian immigrant!
Is he already working on his shadow cabinet?
bass4funk
They will be reimbursed. But it looks like Trump sunk this disaster so dodged that bullet.
plasticmonkey
Um, Trump ran on the promise that prices would be going down, the economy would go through the roof, and a new golden age of prosperity would begin on day one.
Farmers didn't vote for "tough times ahead".
stormcrow
Billionaires and gazillionaires are about to take over. Hold on to your seats!
wallace
The longest federal shutdown in history happened during Trump's first term.
Peter Neil
hold on to your wallets, too.
can you imagine how bizarre a mind must be, thinking the american people don’t have enough pain?
bass4funk
Relax, he didn’t take office yet, calm down now.
Yes, “Rome” wasn’t built in a day.
They knew tough times were coming possibly, they absolutely knew it. They could have voted for the Dems and they didn’t, the disillusioned left had their chance.
plasticmonkey
Trump said nothing about tough times coming. You're trying to rewrite history.
HopeSpringsEternal
Dirty little secret is Wall Street, and Mega rich in general helped Kamala Harris campaign outraise Trump far more than 2:1. Turns out policy and personnel (DLT) matter!
Voters do not want business as usual. It's Biden's last budget = ultimate lame duck, thus Trump and Musk simply 'weighing-in' on this Biden budgetary trainwreck
bass4funk
Start with a clean CR bill, get the Wiley Democrats greedy mitts out of this, problem solved.
Peter Neil
trump needs to add joe rogan to a cabinet/advisor role.
that’ll fill out the whacky card.
bass4funk
He doesn’t have to, common sense tells you that we could have some tough times trying to break the free for all Democrat socialist piggy bank
Uh, wrong person, not me, not conservatives.
You think Whoopi’s or Joy Behar would be than Habba
Yup. Lol
Underworld
HopeSpringsEternal
We can only hope.
They aren’t Biden budgetary matters, they are the congress’s budgetary matters. And the majority is GOP.
plasticmonkey
Trump was all about promises of a brighter future. Sounds like a bait and switch to me.
Why didn't you mention the coming "tough times" until now? You sounded so optimistic about the economic boom, lower prices, and golden era that would start on day one.
BTW, does the "socialist piggy bank" include Trump's subsidies to farmers?
plasticmonkey
Which is what happens when you involve self-important tech bros who think their smarts extend to politics and governance.
plasticmonkey
Sorry, pal. The MAGA Party doesn't have enough of a congressional majority to get everything it wants. And it'll be in even worse shape after 2026.
Peter Neil
government is not a business with the goal of profit. never has been.
it’s supposed to spend the public money to support the public good.
trump, musk and other traitorous, self-centered monsters need look no further than warren buffet for some insight.
he doesn’t use all of the financial trickery of trump and musk to avoid taxes. he pays taxes willingly, because he can afford it, and it’s the infrastructure of america that allows his companies to exist and thrive.
until comrade trump and musk pay some income taxes and social security and medicare taxes, they have no say or moral standing to open their mouths about shutting down the government. they don’t contribute a dime.
how dare they?
bass4funk
How, he wasn't even sworn in. Lol! You too funny.
I am totally optimistic, but I didn't become successful by being the typical lib doom and gloom kind of man.
No, we are talking about entitlements from cradle to grave for everyone.
On the contrary, they will most likely get everything they need. Starting with mass deportations as the first act.
I disagree.
bass4funk
Tell Nancy, Mitch, Obama, Biden and Hillary that
I completely agree with you, so let us start by cutting aid to Ukraine and all of these other nations outside of the US.
The only traitors to the nation are the people who went from a government salary of 100K to millions of dollars in the bank and filth like Myorkas who put politics before the nation; those are the REAL traitors to the nation
I don't get your point there? More garrulous lib banter?
Ok, so what will you do about it? Please tell us.
Well, libs have opinions as well, they really do.
Cephus
Sure! Elon knows how to agitate the ever small minority party. Good job Elon, for keeping them on a short leash.
plasticmonkey
Specify.
HopeSpringsEternal
Any shutdown now is bipartisan, as D's now control the Senate and 1600. Guess everyone should take a 'chill', DJT will sort it out and FIX IT in Jan, but all the '$pork', including Ukraine will just have to wait...tick tock
Tokyo Guy
Musk is basically doing something not dissimilar to Putin: using Trump's blatant stupidity to further his own ends. Putin presumably does it through blackmail; Musk, by leeching on to Trump and never leaving his side, while presumably telling him what a bigly genius president he is.
More proof that it's possible to destroy the US "without firing a shot" as Khrushchev famously put it:
We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within .
plasticmonkey
Can someone please translate this for me?
bass4funk
Specify.
In 2022, the federal government spent $1.19 trillion on welfare programs, which was about 20% of total federal spending. In 2023, means-tested social-welfare spending totaled $1.6 trillion.
That is just crazy, a lot of these unnecessary programs need to be cut
plasticmonkey
Who?
bass4funk
Easy, just chill out, wait, and pray that your party kicks all of their radical progressive ideology and disastrous policies aside and moves more to the center, stop taxing people into oblivion and robbing Paul to give to Peter, and you might have a chance at winning an election again in the future.
plasticmonkey
You haven’t specified what “cradle to grave entitlements” you’re referring to.
bass4funk
I did. We give out more welfare as an entitlement than any other, the fact that libs don't understand that makes perfect sense. Drive through any ghetto area in LA or NYC and tell me how all entitlements are making these people's lives better.
wallace
Some expat Americans don't pay US taxes but still complain about how they are spent.
HopeSpringsEternal
Nice thing about Trump, Musk and Maga, expanded the Republican Party Coalition to include those from all races, colors, creed and religions.
Only major demographic group Trump found reduced support for was $100+ income, all others, especially Black, Hispanic, Asian, youth, working & middle class, union, etc., massively expanded Trump and R's support.
Naturally, cleaning up Biden this final budget mess they presented to Congress is very symbolic of Biden Admin in general = lots of spending (and inflation!) and lousy results!
plasticmonkey
Are you talking about food stamps? Unemployment benefits? Medicare? Medicaid? None of those are "cradle to grave".
Or are you thinking social security?
Please don't say "all of them".
plasticmonkey
What is DLT? Is it a sandwich?