President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk have aroused indignation over the expenditure compromise, halting a bipartisan Congressional funding package that was intended to prevent a government shutdown during the last days of the Joe Biden presidency.
According to information obtained by Knewz.com, Musk initiated the protest against the Congressional spending package on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. This was followed by a lengthy statement from Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and incoming President Trump.
Through numerous posts on X, Musk continued to put pressure on Congress over the spending package, occasionally complimenting House Republicans who joined the opposition to the planned plan.
With the backing of House Republicans and Musk’s indignation, Trump and Vance followed suit, forcing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to veto the bipartisan spending proposal known as the “Omnibus Bill.”
“The awful law has been killed after your elected officials listened to you. The people’s voice has prevailed. Musk wrote on X after the ruling.
According to reports, Johnson had to start over and devise a fresh strategy to maintain government operations throughout the presidential transition.
Congress did not have a “Plan B” in case the budget bill did not even reach the floor, as stories have indicated, according to those familiar with the discussions taking on in the Capitol in this respect.
In a statement on December 18, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stated that Republicans were simply considering a variety of ideas and that there was no new agreement.
However, Musk’s rallying cry caused Trump and Vance to join and lead the charge, which ultimately killed the proposed expenditure plan. This has raised questions about how much influence the billionaire ally of the president-elect will have in the upcoming Trump administration as the head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk repeatedly urged people to “Stop the steal of your tax dollars!” which triggered the public’s fury against the Omnibus Bill. And say “Call your elected representatives now.”
In a statement, Republican House Representative Andy Barr of Kentucky claimed that numerous citizens had called his office about the proposed bill.
“My phone was constantly ringing… Elon Musk is being heard by the people who elected us,” Rep. Barr stated in his statement.
President-elect Trump and incoming Vice President Vance released the following statement a few hours later:
“Letting our nation reach the debt ceiling in 2025 was the most stupid and incompetent thing that Congressional Republicans have ever done. It was an error, and it needs to be fixed right now.
Congress is currently debating a spending measure that would include funds for Liz Cheney and government censors. The bill would make it simpler to conceal the records of the dishonest January 6 committee, which failed to protect the American people and concealed security lapses that day.
“This bill would also give Congress a pay increase while many Americans are struggling this Christmas,” the statement continued.
“Republicans want to help our farmers, fund relief efforts for natural disasters, and position our nation for prosperity in 2025. That can only be accomplished by raising the debt ceiling and passing a temporary spending measure WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS. Any other action would be a betrayal of our nation.
“THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT,” the message continued. In thirty-two days, we will.
Although the Congressional spending bill was originally deemed a “must-pass legislation,” Trump’s ability to halt it has reportedly raised concerns about his upcoming term, a sentiment that is frequently connected to the Trump Presidency from 2016 to 2020.
In a private remark to Maine GOP Senator Susan Collins, outgoing Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell reportedly said, “Oh, this is the way it’s going to be next year.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the most recent episode also brought attention to the tense relationship between Trump and Speaker Johnson, on whom the President will need to impose his policies.
“On Tuesday [December 17] evening, Johnson had introduced legislation to extend federal funding until March 14, send $110.4 billion to natural disaster survivors and codify a host of unrelated policy changes,” The Washington Postexplained.
Johnson contributed an extra $10 billion in farmer aid late in the negotiations, which allowed Democrats to make a number of unrelated requests in order to get the bill through the House and the Democratic-led Senate. Among these were the following: federal cash to reconstruct Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge; a pay increase for members of Congress; new rules for health plan administrators; and the transfer of control of the District’s RFK Stadium to Washington, D.C.
Johnson stated during his Fox & Friends appearance on December 18 that he had discussed the draft measure with Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy by text the previous evening.
“They are aware of the circumstances. “We don’t like the spending, but it’s not directed at you, Mr. Speaker,” they added. ‘Guess what, fellas, I don’t either,’ I said,” Johnson recounted on the program.
He went on to tell them that “we have to finish this,” in order for the next president to “enact his agenda,” since “by doing this, we are clearing the decks.”
However, Josh Hawley, a Republican Senator from Missouri,saidthat Trump was “blindsided” by the plan, adding that the President-elect was “not read into this and he’s just learning about it he’s just reading about it.”
It is important to remember that most federal activities would cease at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, December 21, if Congress does not approve a funding extension. The full impact of the government shutdown will be felt on Monday, December 23.
According to a statement on the subject from White House spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre, “Republicans need to stop playing politics with this bipartisan agreement or they will hurt hardworking Americans and create instability across the country.”
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