Musk says House GOP shouldn't pass stopgap funding deal

Tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk came out against a stopgap deal as he pushes for the government to reduce spending.

The bipartisan legislation was released Tuesday night in a last-minute effort to avert a looming Dec. 20 shutdown deadline, spurring Republican rage toward Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Musk, shortly after the bill text's release, wrote on his social media platform X that the "bill should not pass," and called the 1,547-page document a big "piece of pork."

If it passes, the deal will push the funding deadline to March 14 to give the next Congress and incoming president more time to decide how the government should be funded for the majority of next year.

Musk, the world's richest person, joins a number of other GOP critics concerned with the prospect of adding to the national debt. He is co-leading President-elect Trump's new advisory panel, called the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) which aims to slash government spending and bureaucracy.

Johnson said he spoke with Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — the other co-leader of DOGE — on Tuesday night about the controversial measure.

“I was communicating with Elon last night. Elon, Vivek and I are on a text chain together, and I was explaining to them the background of this. And then Vivek and I talked last night until almost midnight," he said on Fox News's "Fox and Friends." "And he said, 'Look, I get it.' He said, 'We understand you're in an impossible position. Everybody knows that.'"

"They understand the situation. They said, ‘It’s not directed at you, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t like the spending.’ And I said, ‘Guess what, fellas? I don’t either,'" Johnson added.

Johnson emphasized the bill is "clearing the decks" so Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress can achieve their fiscal goals in the new year.

"We got to get this thing done so we don't have the shutdown. So, we get the short-term funding measure, and we get to March where we can put our fingerprints on the spending," he said. "That's when the big changes start."

Ahead of the bill text's release, a number of GOP House members criticized the bill as working against DOGE's goals.

“It’s the opposite of what the DOGE Commission is trying to do. So, am I voting for it? No, I’m not,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told reporters Tuesday.

“I think that it’s shameful that people that celebrate DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] coming in, I can’t, and yet we’re going to vote for another billion dollars to be added to the deficit, and so it’s ironic. Personally, I’m disappointed,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) added.

Musk has increasingly waded into issues in Congress as he becomes more involved in Trump's inner circle.

Last week, he offered eleventh-hour support for a child online safety bill, which was stalled in the House amid conservatives' concerns.

The measure, called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), did not make it into the funding package and Johnson said he plans to take up the issue when Republicans take back control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.

Topics

Johnson going forward with stopgap funding bill despite Elon Musk opposition

Elon Musk came out against Speaker Mike Johnson going forward with a stopgap government funding bill on Wednesday.
ABC News - 9m
Congress strikes deal on $100B in disaster aid and punting funding into March, House GOP leaders say

Politico - 1d
House GOP fumes at Johnson

Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Johnson faces backlash over shutdown negotiations House Speaker Mike Johnson’s ...
The Hill - 18h
Bipartisan energy talks collapse, say Manchin, Carper, blaming House GOP

A bipartisan effort to speed up the buildout of the nation’s energy projects has failed — or at least will not be attached to a stopgap funding bill — say two key lawmakers who were involved with ...
The Hill - 1d
Massive annual defense policy bill passes in House

{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Massive annual defense policy bill passes in House The ...
The Hill - 6d
Johnson needs Dems to pass a stopgap spending bill. Here's what they want.

Given his thin margins in the House and conservatives who tend to always oppose short-term funding fixes, he will almost certainly need to get House Democrats on board.
Politico - Dec. 9
Social Security beneficiaries at risk of delays amid GOP funding fight

Social Security beneficiaries could face longer wait times for service next year unless Congress agrees to the White House budget office’s request to increase funding for the Social Security ...
The Hill - Dec. 9
The House GOP's math problem: From the Politics Desk

The final race of the 2024 election has been called, meaning Republicans will control 220 House seats to Democrats’ 215 next year, a slim majority.
NBC News - Dec. 4
House GOP releases 2025 legislative calendar

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the schedule for the 119th Congress on Tuesday, unveiling adjustments under President-elect Trump. Next year, representatives will be in session ...
The Hill - Dec. 4