The president-elect and Tesla CEO push for drastic fiscal reforms as Congress faces a critical funding deadline.
President-elect Donald Trump, alongside Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, has issued a bold demand to Congress: reject the current stopgap spending bill and pass a revised version that aligns with conservative priorities. The proposed bill would fund the government past Friday, but Trump’s intervention has injected new uncertainty into an already contentious debate.
Trump and Vance are urging lawmakers to focus on disaster relief and the debt ceiling, stripping out what they describe as “Democrat giveaways.” Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has entered the fray, calling for Republicans to oppose the bill and threatening political consequences for those who support it.
What’s in the Bill?
The stopgap spending measure, as currently written, would:
• Fund federal government operations at current levels through March 14, 2025.
• Allocate $100 billion for disaster relief and $10 billion in farm aid.
• Include unrelated provisions such as pay raises for lawmakers and new rules against hidden hotel fees.
Trump and Vance argue that Congress should restrict the bill’s scope to temporary spending and disaster relief, while also tackling the looming debt ceiling crisis—a move they say Democrats are unlikely to cooperate on later.
“If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration?” Trump and Vance said in a statement.
The Stakes of a Shutdown
If Congress fails to act by Saturday, a government shutdown would disrupt a wide range of services, including:
• Air travel and law enforcement operations.
• Contracts for agencies like NASA and the Pentagon, many of which involve Musk’s companies.
The last government shutdown, from December 2018 to January 2019, was also under Trump’s watch and became the longest in U.S. history, lasting 34 days.
Musk’s Influence
Elon Musk, a major political donor and close ally of Trump, has amplified calls to reject the bill. Musk, who has spent over $250 million to support Trump’s election, warned Congress that those who vote for the bill should be ousted.
“Federal spending is out of control. Those who support this nonsense should be voted out,” Musk stated.
Musk’s financial clout has already made waves in Washington, though his influence is limited among Democrats and senators not facing immediate reelection.
Divided Reactions
The spending bill has sparked sharp divisions:
• Republican Infighting: While some House Republicans negotiated the bill, others are aligning with Trump and Musk to oppose it, complicating efforts to secure passage.
• Democratic Criticism: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of fomenting chaos, stating,
“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support.”
• Bipartisan Uncertainty: With Republicans holding a narrow House majority and Democrats controlling the Senate, bipartisan agreement is critical to pass any spending legislation.
Debt Ceiling Drama
Trump’s insistence on tying the debt ceiling to the bill has added another layer of complexity. The U.S. government’s debt has ballooned to $36 trillion, with borrowing authority expected to run out next year. Failure to address the debt ceiling could lead to economic turmoil, including disruptions in bond markets.
Both parties face political risks: Republicans aim to project fiscal responsibility, while Democrats want to avoid a shutdown that could harm public confidence in government stability.
Trump’s bold call to reject the stopgap spending bill—and Musk’s aggressive pressure campaign—underscore the deepening divisions in Washington as 2025 looms. While Trump frames the issue as a fight for fiscal responsibility and political leverage, critics warn that his strategy risks plunging the government into another costly and chaotic shutdown.
With the clock ticking toward Saturday’s deadline, the question remains: will Congress act to avert disaster, or are we heading for a repeat of 2018’s historic shutdown?