Elon Musk, a tech billionaire and ally of President Trump, has voiced opposition to the stopgap deal as he presses the government to cut spending.
The bipartisan bill was unveiled Tuesday night in a last-minute bid to avert a looming Dec. 20 government shutdown deadline, spurring Republican anger at House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). Ta.
Shortly after the text of the bill was released, Musk said: wrote on his social media platform X. “The bill should not be passed,” he said, claiming he had submitted a 1,547-page document. A big “pork”.
If passed, the deal would extend the funding deadline to March 14, giving the incoming Congress and the next president more time to decide how to fund much of the government next year. It will be.
Musk, the world's richest man, joins many other Republican critics who are concerned about the possibility of further increases in the national debt. He is co-chairing President-elect Trump's new advisory committee called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to reduce government spending and bureaucracy.
Johnson said he had discussed the controversial measure with Musk and DOGE's other co-leader, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, on Tuesday night.
“I was in touch with Elon last night. Elon, Vivek, and I were on a text chain together and I was explaining this background to them. And Vivek and I were in touch near midnight last night. “And he said, 'Look, I understand.' He said, 'You're in an impossible position. I understand.'' Everyone knows that. ”
“They understand the situation. They said, 'Mr. Chairman, this isn't directed at you, but we don't like the spending.'” And I said, “What do you think? Deaf, neither am I,” Johnson added.
Johnson touted the bill as a “housecleaning sweep” to help President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress meet their fiscal goals in the new year.
“We have to get this work done so we don't get shut down, so we can get some short-term financing measures and have a spending trail in March,” he said. “That’s when the big changes start.”
Prior to the release of the bill's text, many House Republicans criticized the bill for contradicting DOGE's goals.
“This is the opposite of what the DOGE committee is trying to do. So, will I vote for it? No, it's not,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R.S.C.) told reporters Tuesday. told.
“I think it’s a shame that people celebrate DOGE. [Department of Government Efficiency]It's ironic because we can't do that, and yet we're going to vote to add another $1 billion to the deficit. I'm personally disappointed,” added Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri).
Mr. Musk has increasingly stepped into Congressional matters as he has become more involved in Mr. Trump's inner circle.
He gave his 11th-hour support for the Child Online Safety Bill, which stalled in the House of Representatives last week due to concerns from conservatives.
The measure, known as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), was not included in the funding package, but Johnson said he would take up the issue when Republicans regain control of both houses of Congress. Ta.
