Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated he talked to billionaire Elon Musk concerning the 1,500-page authorities funding deal after Musk voiced his opposition to the invoice, and that the incoming Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) chief understands the “impossible” place the Speaker is in.
Musk on Wednesday morning posted on his social platform, X: “This bill should not pass” and “Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?”
Requested about that opposition, Johnson stated he had talked to Musk and his DOGE companion Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday night time about their issues.
“I was communicating with Elon last night,” Johnson stated on Fox Information on Wednesday morning. “Elon, Vivek [Ramaswamy] and I were on a text chain together, and I was explaining to them the background of this. And Vivek and I talked last night, about almost midnight, and he said, ‘Look, I get it.’ He said, ‘We understand you’re in an impossible position. Everybody knows that.’”
“Remember, guys, we still have just a razor-thin margin of Republicans. So any bill has to have Democratic votes,” Johnson stated. “They understand the situation. He said, ‘It’s not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t like the spending.’ I said, ‘Guess what, fellas, I don’t either.”
The invoice unveiled Tuesday night combines a continuation of presidency funding by March 14 with plenty of add-ons, together with catastrophe help for hurricanes injury and farmers; a well being care deal that features reforms to the pharmacy profit supervisor business; an extension of the farm invoice; and a provision that might set the stage for the Washington Commanders to return to taking part in their dwelling video games in D.C. as an alternative of Maryland.
Whereas many hard-line conservatives had known as for a stopgap till after President-elect Trump takes workplace so he might enact decrease funding ranges than what President Biden would signal into legislation, many Republicans are fuming at Johnson over the variety of add-ons within the invoice.
“It’s not a CR, which is a continuation of the budget. It’s turning into an omnibus,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stated Tuesday.
Johnson argued that regardless of the drawbacks within the invoice, it units the stage for extra conservative spending ranges below Trump.
“We’ve got to get this done, because here’s the key: By doing this, we are clearing the decks, and we are setting up for Trump to come in roaring back with America first agenda that’s we’re going to run with gusto beginning Jan. 3, when we start the new Congress, when Republicans again are in control,” Johnson stated. “And all of our fiscal conservative friends — I’m one of them — will be able to finally do the things that we’ve been wanting to do the last couple of years.”
