Newly US President-Elect Donald Trump and his DOGE secretary, Elon Musk have partnered to oppose a government funding bill pushed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. This bill, meant to avert a shutdown of the government, has been receiving increasing opposition within the Republican Party, thus pushing the risk of a shutdown of federal operations starting Friday night.
According to sources, Trump opposes the bill because it contains unnecessary spending that he and Musk believe could harm the nation's fiscal health. He has voiced his dissatisfaction in private discussions, stating that he is "totally against" the continuing resolution (CR).
Besides Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance's statement calling on lawmakers to pass a more streamlined bill and condemning any compromises with Democrats, Musk also criticized the 1,547-page funding bill, according to CNBC. The Tesla CEO argued that a government shutdown would be better than passing what he perceives as a bill loaded with "wasteful pork-barrel spending."
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Musk Blocks Funding Bill
Musk also posted on social media that no bills should pass in Congress until Trump assumes office on January 20, 2025. Musk's influence has galvanized other Republican lawmakers, who are now aligning with his stance on the bill.
This includes funding the government through the mid-March date, plus disaster relief for states hit by the recent hurricanes, valued over $100 billion. Meanwhile, even though the Trump-Musk camp is sounding their opposition loudly, more GOP lawmakers are now starting to discuss whether it might be necessary to pass the bill into law, even if bypassing normal procedures is what needs to happen.
The process referred to as "suspension" could be used to pass the bill, which requires two-thirds of the House and Democrats may help provide the necessary votes.
With the deadline to fund the government fast approaching, pressure mounts on Speaker Mike Johnson from his own party. Many Republicans, including Trump and Musk, question the contents of the proposed bill, specifically the large disaster relief appropriation. Johnson, who is trying to keep the delicate balance within the GOP, said he has had discussions with Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy about the shortcomings of the bill. But Johnson remains committed to passing the bill to pave the way for Trump's future agenda.
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