Tech billionaire Elon Musk joined the fierce congressional debate over U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending invoice on Tuesday, slamming it and calling it a “disgusting abomination” that can add to the federal deficit.
Several fiscally conservative Republicans within the U.S. Senate supported the views Musk expressed in social media posts, which may complicate the invoice’s path to passage in that chamber.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk wrote in a put up on his social media platform X.
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”
He added: “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Musk’s feedback hit a nerve. Republican deficit hawks have expressed issues about the price of the invoice, which might prolong the 2017 tax cuts that have been Trump’s most important legislative accomplishment, whereas boosting spending on the army and border safety.
The House of Representatives handed it by one vote final month, after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stated the measure would add $3.8 trillion to the federal authorities’s $36.2 trillion in debt.
The Senate, additionally managed by Trump’s Republicans, goals to move the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” within the subsequent month, although senators are anticipated to revise the House model.
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees tax coverage, are attributable to meet with Trump on the White House on Wednesday afternoon to debate making the invoice’s business-related tax breaks everlasting, in keeping with Senator Steve Daines, a panel member. Analysts have warned that such a transfer would enormously enhance the measure’s price.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated he disagreed with Musk’s evaluation about the price of the invoice and stood by the objective of passage by July 4.
“We have a job to do – the American people elected us to do. We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on, most notably the president of the United States, and we’re going to deliver on that agenda,” the South Dakota lawmaker informed reporters.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson additionally dismissed Musk’s complaints, telling reporters, “My friend Elon is terribly wrong.”
Test of affect
Musk’s loud opposition to a invoice that Trump has urged Republicans to move presents a check of his political affect, every week after leaving his formal position within the administration as a particular authorities worker with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) got here to an finish. As DOGE chief, he upended a number of federal businesses however in the end did not ship the large financial savings he had sought.
The richest individual on the earth, Musk, had spent almost $300 million to again Trump’s presidential marketing campaign and different Republicans in final yr’s elections. But he has stated he would minimize his political spending considerably whereas returning to his position as Tesla CEO.
The White House dismissed Tuesday’s assault, simply as Trump dismissed earlier Musk complaints in regards to the laws.
“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated at a White House briefing. “It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
Republican disagreements
Senate Republicans have been divided in regards to the invoice even earlier than Musk’s missives. Deficit hawks are pushing for deeper spending cuts than the $1.6 trillion over a decade within the House model, whereas one other coalition of rural-state Republicans are pushing to guard the Medicaid well being care program for low-income Americans.
One of the hawks, Senator Mike Lee, referred to as on celebration members to make use of the Trump invoice and future spending measures to cut back the deficit.
“We must commit now to doing so, as this is what voters justifiably expect – and indeed deserve – from the GOP Congress,” the Utah Republican stated on X whereas reposting Musk’s message.
Republicans have a 53-47 seat majority within the Senate and might afford to lose assist from not more than three members, in the event that they count on to move the laws with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance by a July 4 deadline.
Another hardliner, Senator Ron Johnson, predicted that lawmakers wouldn’t be capable of meet the deadline and safe an enough variety of cuts.
Lee and Johnson are amongst at the very least 4 Senate hardliners demanding that the invoice be modified to limit the expansion of the debt and deficit.
The faction of celebration lawmakers decided to restrict spending cuts to challenge Medicaid beneficiaries and business investments in inexperienced power initiatives is of the same measurement.
“I certainly have an interest in making sure people with disabilities are not harmed. But also, there’s the broad issue of how does it affect hospital reimbursements,” Senator Jerry Moran informed reporters.
“There’s a set of my colleagues who are pushing to do more. And so it turns on how do you get the votes to pass a bill,” the Kansas Republican stated.
Other Senate Republicans stated lawmakers could must look elsewhere to spice up financial savings, together with the potential of leaving Trump’s much-touted tax break proposals for suggestions, time beyond regulation pay and Social Security advantages for later laws.
“Those are all Democrat priorities. I’m not sure why we shouldn’t be doing that in a potential bipartisan bill to create headspace for this bill,” stated Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
Source: www.dailysabah.com