What’s New
Elon Musk voiced support for GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson’s latest spending bill on Friday, giving him a sigh of relief just hours before a government shutdown could begin.
“This is great,” Musk wrote in a post to X, responding to a separate post outlining some of the measures in the new spending bill.
It came just under an hour after Musk appeared to raise concerns of the bill, asking if it is a “Republican bill or a Democrat bill?”
Why It Matters
The mayhem over the spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), underscores Musk’s growing influence in the GOP after backing President-elect Donald Trump in this year’s presidential race. Musk was instrumental in sinking the bill introduced by Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, earlier this week. After rallying members of Congress against it, Trump sided with Musk in opposing the bill.
If Congress is unable to reach a deal to fund the federal government by the end of Friday, a government shutdown would begin after midnight, just days before Christmas. A shutdown would have implications for millions of Americans, including those workers who would be furloughed or required to work without pay. It could also put strains on travel ahead of one of the busiest weeks of the year.
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What to Know
Musk’s praise for the bill may give Johnson a sigh of relief, as his opposition would run the risk of sparking another GOP revolt over the bill. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the bill will pass. The CR is not going through the rules committee, meaning it will need two-thirds of Congress for its support.
This means it will need support from Democrats, and it’s unclear just how many are willing to vote for the spending package.
Just before 4 p.m. on Friday, Musk responded to a post made by Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, who also voiced concerns about the bill.
Initially, the latest spending bill was going to be split into three different bills to fund the government, deliver disaster relief to areas struck by hurricanes earlier this year and farm assistance. Massie indicated that the structure of the bill had changed as negotiations continued.
“This was in fact correct when you tweeted it, but speaker Johnson flipped his decision after the meeting when he spoke to Hakeem Jeffries and realized he could get Democrat votes to pass all the legislation as one bill,” Massie wrote in a post outlining the strategy.
Nearly every Democrat, and more than 30 Republicans, voted against a scaled-down version of the package backed by Trump Thursday evening. Democrats were critical of spending cuts to several programs, while fiscal conservatives opposed a measure to raise the debt ceiling.
What People Are Saying
Members of Congress reacted to the new bill.
Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican on X: “On this third “funding” CR – progress having been made on future cuts/debt ceiling notwithstanding – I must vote no. $110bb unpaid-for, extension of food stamps with no reform, gimmicks to pay for health extenders, breaks 72 hour rule… More of the same.”
Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat on X: “We will pass a bill that will keep the government open. Dozens of provisions that were bipartisan have been stricken from the bill. This is a defeat for Americans and for bipartisanship. It’s a victory for Elon Musk because the bill no longer contains limitations on investment in high-tech enterprises in China.
Representative Jodey Arrington, a Texas Republican on X: “I encourage my colleagues to join me in clearing the way for President Trump and next year’s unified Republican Congress by voting for this funding bill and supporting our fellow Americans who have suffered catastrophic disasters outside of their control.”
What Happens Next
A vote on the CR is expected to happen Friday evening. Republicans’ goal is to fund the government through March, when they will also control the Senate and presidency, making it easier to pass more conservative priorities with less need for Democratic support.
If it does not fail, negotiations would likely continue through the weekend.
