Elon Musk took on the swamp and won – for now.
After a 12-hour social media barrage, beginning in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Musk successfully killed a bill that would keep the federal government funded beyond December 20.
‘Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!’ he tweeted.
By Wednesday evening, President-elect Donald Trump followed suit. A vote in favor of this bill would be a ‘betrayal of our country,’ Trump said.
The bill was DOA. Musk, the newly appointed grim reaper of federal inefficiency, had claimed his first scalp. But this victory may be short-lived.
The legendary industrialist may soon discover that it’s far more difficult to fix America’s broken gears of government than Tesla’s assembly line.
Congress has spent most of the past 15 years breaking its own spending rules. There’s supposed to be a procedure to decide on a budget. It sounds dull, but it’s important. Otherwise, the country ends up $36 trillion in debt.
When the process works, there are committee hearings, members actually read bills and amend them, gutting wasteful spending and setting priorities.
After a 12-hour social media barrage, beginning in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Musk successfully killed a bill that would keep the federal government funded beyond December 20.
Congress has spent most of the past 15 years breaking its own spending rules. There’s supposed to be a procedure to decide on a budget. It sounds dull, but it’s important. Otherwise, the country ends up $36 trillion in debt. (Pictured: House Speaker Mike Johnson)
When the process doesn’t work, Congressmen cut back-room deals and then drop a gigantic 1,547-page bill on the eve of a holiday recess. (There are only 1,440 minutes in a day.)
Take it or leave it, the party leaders threaten their members.
If they vote ‘no,’ the government shuts down or lawmakers are stuck in DC for Christmas scrambling to write another bill.
If they vote ‘yes,’ they have greenlit every horrendous item in a piece of legislation that they haven’t even had the time to read.
Speaker Mike Johnson got his job after eight Republicans revolted in 2023 over his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, repeatedly breaking the rules and jamming spending monsters through the House.
Now, Johnson’s doing the same. Though it’s not all his fault.
The Senate is also supposed to be responsible for debating and voting on a dozen or so bite-sized pieces of the federal budget that make up the whole. But they, too, have thrown fiscal responsibility out the window in favor or political expediency.
It goes without saying that President Joe Biden – remember that guy? – has no influence here at all. Congress is on its own. Trump and Musk can move votes; Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris can’t.
This is broken business as usual in Washington DC.
Of course, Musk, who is supposed to be leading the fight against government waste and incompetence, objects. And he has a very big platform (208 million followers on X) when he does so.
Speaker Mike Johnson got his job after eight Republicans revolted in 2023 over his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (pictured above right with Trump), repeatedly breaking the rules and jamming spending monsters through the House.
His pressure on Republicans in Congress worked this time and it is a sign of a new power on the block. But how long will it last?
Here’s the reality check:
A government shutdown for Christmas or a new short-term deal would push this spending fight into January. That should be good news for Republicans, who take over the Senate on January 3 and the White House on January 20.
But it’s not so simple. Trump has a lot else he wants to do. He wants Congress to deal with immigration and taxes. He needs the Senate to either confirm his Cabinet or (he says) go on a recess while he gives them all temporary jobs.
If Congress has to focus on the short-term budget in January or February, it can’t do those things too.
Musk or no Musk, Trump is going to want a budget deal done pronto.
Perhaps the President-elect is starting to re-think putting this magician of industrial efficiency in charge of slimming down the bloated state Leviathan.
What really needs to happen is reform of the budget process, which has been broken since the mid-1970s.
Trump might support reform, but he’s unlikely to put any effort into it.
When he and Musk combine forces, they can do a lot to stop backroom deals and wasteful spending – as so long as they are on the same page.
