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President Donald Trump has come out against a Republican-backed government funding bill, aligning himself with Elon Musk.
NEW DELHI: President Donald Trump has come out against a Republican-backed government funding bill, aligning himself with Elon Musk in an effort to defeat the package. Trump’s opposition to the bill, which was proposed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, has further raised the stakes for a potential government shutdown, with just days left before federal funding runs out.
Trump’s position against the continuing resolution (CR) was revealed by a source familiar with the matter, who stated that the president-elect told a Fox News host he was “totally against” the bill. Later, Trump and Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) released a joint statement urging lawmakers to pass a “streamlined bill” that excludes concessions to Democrats. The statement emphasized that Republicans should prioritize support for farmers, disaster relief, and the country’s future success, all without “Democrat giveaways” or an increase in the debt ceiling.
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Musk, a vocal critic of the 1,547-page bill, has been actively rallying against its passage, citing wasteful pork-barrel spending. In multiple posts on X, Musk argued that shutting down the government, rather than passing the bill, would be a better option. “Shutting down the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill,” Musk tweeted. He also suggested that no bills should be passed by Congress until Trump takes office on January 20.
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Musk’s position on the bill has garnered support from a growing number of Republican lawmakers, some of whom have voiced concerns about the excessive spending in the CR. The situation has led Speaker Johnson to consider using the “suspension” process to pass the resolution, which would require two-thirds support from the House, bypassing traditional procedural steps. This would necessitate support from both Republicans and Democrats, with a suspension passage seen as the most likely path to keeping the government funded.
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Despite Musk’s vocal opposition, Johnson revealed he had been texting with Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy about the bill, saying they shared concerns about the spending. However, Johnson expressed the need to “get this done” to clear the way for Trump’s agenda.
The funding bill includes over $100 billion in disaster relief for states like Florida and North Carolina, which were devastated by hurricanes earlier this year. With federal funding set to expire by Friday night, the possibility of a partial government shutdown looms unless the bill is passed. President Joe Biden has not publicly weighed in on the bill as he spent the day honoring the memory of his late wife and daughter on the 52nd anniversary of their deaths.
