Barbara Lee: Allowing Musk to 'run our government really has grave consequences' for Americans

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) on Thursday took aim at billionaire Elon Musk for derailing the end-of-year spending deal.

"Let's put this into context. This was a bipartisan, agreed upon deal to move forward and keep the government open until March," Lee said on CNN.

"It is really very clear to me that a non-elected billionaire, Elon Musk, has weighed in now and has put forth a message on Twitter, from his phone, that it's okay to shut the government down and to disregard the bipartisan deal," she said, adding that allowing a billionaire like Musk to "run our government really has grave consequences on the American people."

On Thursday night, the House rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) plan B spending bill after the first one was met with scrutiny from Musk and President-elect Trump. Allies of Trump quickly followed suit, criticizing the continuing resolution, which led to Johnson's plan B bill.

Musk, who's set to co-lead the newly made Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, on Wednesday flooded his social platform X with misinformation about Congress's deal, calling on Republicans to reject the stopgap bill.

Just hours after the continuing resolution was unveiled Tuesday night, Musk argued the deal "should not pass," launched a series of posts and reposts, and occasionally spread incorrect information over lawmaker pay raises to the cost of a football stadium in Washington, D.C.

Trump on Wednesday also demanded that a debt ceiling be paired with the stopgap bill, issuing a joint statement with Vice President-elect Vance saying that while the party wants disaster aid and support for farmers — issues tackled in the temporary funding plan — he wants Congress to pass a "streamlined spending bill" that doesn't give Democrats "everything they want" and has "an increase in the debt ceiling."

However, Trump's demand was met with raised eyebrows from lawmakers on both sides as many questioned the president-elect's request.

Topics

Why has Elon Musk been pushing for a government shutdown?

How the tech billionaire influenced Republicans and Trump
BBC News - 13h
Proposed 'Trump' law seeks to allow felons to run for office in Missouri

A Missouri representative is proposing a repeal of a state law that currently prevents citizens with a felony history from running for a state office.
The Hill - Dec. 12
Has college football flag-planting really become a nationwide scourge in the US?

Michigan and Ohio State players brawled after the Wolverines beat their archrivals in their own backyard. But is legislative action really needed?. For Ohio State, a home loss to Michigan on 30 ...
The Guardian - Dec. 12
From Trump and Turkey, to Russia and Iran — Syria's regime change has huge global consequences

The dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime at the hands of rebel forces this weekend will have deep ramifications across the globe.
CNBC - Dec. 9
Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore | Siân Boyle

‘Brain rot’ is the Oxford word of the year – a fitting choice, given the startling impact the internet is having on our grey matter. If you want to witness the last vestiges of human intellect ...
The Guardian - Dec. 9
South Korea Unsure Who Is Running the Government

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated bid to impose martial law has created a power vacuum in his governing camp, pushing the country deeper into what analysts call a constitutional crisis.
The New York Times - Dec. 8
Watch: Our correspondent Barbara Plett-Usher inside Damascus

The BBC's Barbara Plett-Usher says everyone in the Syrian capital is "waiting to see what will happen next".
BBC News - Dec. 8
Give it a rest: SEC title game has a lot on the line ... really

While the do-or-die CFP incentive isn't part of the discussion when No. 2 Texas faces No. 5 Georgia on Saturday, there's more at stake than you might think.
Yahoo Sports - Dec. 6
US has 'grave concern' as South Korea imposes, then overturns, martial law

Officials from the White House, Pentagon and State Department all said they were in close contact with their South Korean counterparts as they assessed the situation.
ABC News - Dec. 3