Elon Musk just made life harder for House Republicans trying to push through President Trump’s massive budget bill before the July Fourth deadline.
“A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn’t massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by 5 TRILLION DOLLARS,” Musk posted Wednesday on X.
Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), torched the bill earlier in the week. He called the legislation “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination.” His attack puts more pressure on Republican senators already uneasy about the bill’s price tag.
Musk’s criticism backs up hardline conservatives like Senators Ron Johnson (WI), Mike Lee (UT), and Rand Paul (KY), who have slammed the bill for reckless spending.
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Rand Paul said that if just four conservative senators unite, they could stall the bill unless GOP leaders agree to deeper spending cuts. “Separate out” the $4 trillion debt ceiling hike, Paul urged.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the House-approved bill would drive up the deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. It also assumes Trump’s proposed tariffs would raise $2.8 trillion in revenue over that time.
Speaker Mike Johnson is now trying to contain the fallout. He said Musk ignored his call Tuesday but hopes they’ll speak soon. “We don’t have time for a brand new bill,” Johnson told Fox News. “We worked on the bill for almost 14 months. … We have a great product to deliver here.”
But Axios reported Musk has been working behind the scenes too—trying to keep electric vehicle credits off the chopping block, even as he publicly slams the bill.
