Trump demands government shutdown after Elon Musk rants over stopgap funding bill
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President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have urged Republican leaders in the House and Senate to take a hard stance, calling for a government shutdown instead of agreeing to a temporary funding bill that would sustain agencies at their current budget levels until the end of March 2025.
In a message shared on X (previously known as Twitter), Vance, along with the new president and vice president, expressed their frustration over the bill, which does not increase the country’s legal debt limit. They criticized lawmakers for allegedly proposing a spending bill that would benefit government censors and Liz Cheney. This outrage stems from the continuing resolution prepared by House Speaker Mike Johnson and his team, which aimed to prevent the executive branch from exploiting a legal loophole to access phone and other communication records of Congress members and their aides, who are meant to be shielded by congressional immunity.
They expressed concerns that the bill didn’t include a reduction in the annual salary bump for Congress members, who haven't seen an increase in nearly twenty years. They called for the approval of a simplified spending bill that doesn't hand over everything to Chuck Schumer and the Democrats.
"Republicans are focused on backing our farmers, providing disaster relief, and ensuring our nation's success in 2025. The only way to achieve this is through a short-term funding bill that excludes any Democrat perks, along with a hike in the debt ceiling. Anything different would be a disservice to our country," they stated, further claiming without evidence that President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and other Democrats are the ones obstructing the funding bill that allocates billions for disaster relief and farmer support.
"If the Democrats are trying to blackmail us with a government shutdown to get all their demands met, then let’s challenge them on it," they stated.
On Wednesday evening, the White House issued a response.
"Republicans must stop using this bipartisan deal for political games, as it will harm dedicated American workers and lead to instability nationwide," stated White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. "President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance have told Republicans to bring the government to a halt, and they are making threats to do so—putting at risk communities that are rebuilding after disasters, as well as farmers, ranchers, and health centers in our communities."
“Causing a harmful government shutdown would negatively impact families who are reuniting with their loved ones and threaten essential services that Americans, including veterans and Social Security recipients, depend on,” the press secretary emphasized. “An agreement is an agreement. Republicans need to honor their commitments.”
Trump and Vance's decision to oppose the temporary funding bill comes just under three days before the government is poised to exhaust its funds. This action came after a lengthy series of posts on X by Elon Musk, the richest person on the planet, who warned that he would finance rival candidates against any Republican who backed the bill proposed by GOP leaders in the House.
In a post on X, Musk minimized the impact of a government shutdown.
He stated that "closing" the government (which, by the way, doesn't really halt essential services) is far preferable to approving a terrible piece of legislation.
Musk also retweeted a message suggesting that the government should remain shut down until January 20, the day when Trump would take the oath of office.
The Tesla executive, who contributed significantly to Trump's campaign and was chosen by the president-elect to head a new Department of Government Efficiency, warned that lawmakers supporting the bill might face job loss.
"Every member of Congress who supports this excessive spending bill should be replaced in the next election cycle!"
The decision threw Congress into turmoil, causing the House to delay voting until Thursday. Throughout much of the discussions, Trump remained largely quiet, which led Sen. Mitt Romney from Utah to express his disapproval of him.
“President Trump shares his thoughts on a wide range of global issues,” he mentioned in an interview with The Independent. “There’s an important vote happening this week. What does he want us to do about it?”
The government was on the verge of running out of funds this week. If Congress doesn’t take action, a shutdown would occur, leading to cuts in all services except for essential ones, including payments to the military.
The Democrats are in charge of the Senate right now, but they will transfer power to the Republicans on January 3rd. Musk's request would essentially mean that the government should only reopen after Trump takes office, resulting in a government shutdown lasting 33 days.
