An unstoppable force is meeting an irresistible object this week in what could be a preview of the battles to come over federal spending.
Elon Musk fired off a volley of posts on X attacking a continuing resolution that, if passed, would keep the federal spigot wide open.
Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government operating through March 14, according to CBS. The bill would replace a previous continuing resolution that expires Friday.
The bill has outraged conservatives and Musk, who has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to head a Department of Government Efficiency along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
“This criminal bill should NOT pass.” – @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/ZcRbTWxRys
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) December 18, 2024
“Stop the steal of your tax dollars! Call your elected representatives now. They are trying to railroad this thing through today!” Musk posted in one of his impassioned messages on X.
“The more I learn, the more obvious it becomes that this spending bill is a crime. It even includes funding for the worst illegal censorship operation in the entire government,” he wrote.
This is insane! This is NOT democracy!
How can your elected representatives be asked to pass a spending bill where they had no input and not even enough time to read it!!?? https://t.co/rrjekkZEUP
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2024
Should Republicans vote against this spending bill?
Yes: 99% (375 Votes)
No: 1% (2 Votes)
Posting a photo of the 1,500-page bill, Musk sniped, “Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?”
Musk said there should be consequences for approving the spending package.
“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” he wrote.
No bills should be passed Congress until Jan 20, when @realDonaldTrump takes office.
None.
Zero.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2024
Musk also noted that a massive pay increase is buried in the deal, writing, “How can this be called a ‘continuing resolution’ if it includes a 40% pay increase for Congress?”
Ramaswamy also teed off on the bill.
“I wanted to read the full 1,500+ page bill & speak with key leaders before forming an opinion. Having done that, here’s my view: it’s full of excessive spending, special interest giveaways & pork barrel politics. If Congress wants to get serious about government efficiency, they should VOTE NO,” he wrote.
“Keeping the government open until March 14 will cost ~$380BN by itself, but the true cost of this omnibus CR is far greater due to new spending. Renewing the Farm Bill for an extra year: ~$130BN. Disaster relief: $100BN. Stimulus for farmers: $10BN. The Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement: $8BN.
“The proposal adds at least 65 cents of new spending for every dollar of continued discretionary spending. The legislation will end up hurting many of the people it purports to help. Debt-fueled spending sprees may ‘feel good’ today, but it’s like showering cocaine on an addict: it’s not compassion, it’s cruelty. Farmers will see more land sold to foreign buyers when taxes inevitably rise to meet our obligations. Our children will be saddled with crippling debt. Interest payments will be the largest item in our national budget,” he wrote.
Ramaswamy said Congress maneuvered itself intentionally into the current situation.
“Congress has known about this deadline since they created it in late September. There’s no reason why this couldn’t have gone through the standard process, instead of being rushed to a vote right before Congressmen want to go home for the holidays. The urgency is 100% manufactured & designed to avoid serious public debate,” he continued.
“The bill could have easily been under 20 pages. Instead, there are dozens of unrelated policy items crammed into the 1,547 pages of this bill. There’s no legitimate reason for them to be voted on as a package deal by a lame-duck Congress.”
Ramaswamy criticized “72 pages worth of ‘Pandemic Preparedness and Response’ policy; renewal of the much-criticized ‘Global Engagement Center,’ a key player in the federal censorship state; 17 different pieces of Commerce legislation; paving the way for a new football stadium in D.C.; a pay raise for Congressmen & Senators and making them eligible for Federal Employee Health Benefits.
“It’s indefensible to ram these measures through at the last second without debate. We’re grateful for DOGE’s warm reception on Capitol Hill. Nearly everyone agrees we need a smaller & more streamlined federal government, but actions speak louder than words. This is an early test. The bill should fail,” he wrote.
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