DOGE’s Elon Musk slams Republican 1,547-page spending bill: ‘Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?’

Elon Musk, Donald Trump’s pick to tackle frivolous government spending, has publicly rejected Republican Chairman Mike Johnson’s funding plan.

Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been tasked by newly elected President Donald Trump to co-chair the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and cut trillions of dollars in federal spending.

The Speaker has been warm to the DOGE leaders, even going so far as to hold a press conference with them earlier this month to highlight their austerity agenda.

But in the final days before Christmas, as lawmakers are eager to return home, Johnson has unveiled a massive 1,547-page spending bill.

He expects Republicans and Democrats to approve the proposal on Friday, leaving little time to even read the fine print.

The package includes more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states hit by the disastrous hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also provides relief to farmers, approves money for submarines and helps with other disasters.

The supersized bill is a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding until March, effectively setting aside the issue for three months.

It is the second emergency bill Johnson has pushed since September.

After the details of the bill were released Tuesday evening, Speakers Johnson, Musk and Vivek discussed its contents in a group chat.

Then, after discussing the CR with the chairman, Musk, a close Trump ally, began publicly mocking Johnson’s plan, which is also drawing backlash from Republicans.

Following the unveiling of a massive spending bill Tuesday night, many Republicans decried the Mike Johnson administration’s financing plan

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from left, walks with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, carrying his son to discuss President Donald Trump. ), on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, December 5, 2024

“Ever seen a bigger piece of pork?” Musk posted on X next to a photo of the printed spending plan, which was larger than a can of Diet Coke.

“This bill should not be passed,” he said in another tweet.

In a third post, Musk further denounced Speaker Johnson’s government funding for taking up pay raises for Congress.

“How can this be called a ‘continuing resolution’ if it includes a 40 percent pay increase for Congress?” he asked.

The bill includes a measure to increase salaries of members of Congress from $174,000 (a level set in 2009) to $243,300 per year.

In another post Wednesday morning, the “Agreed!” Musk wrote.

On Fox News Wednesday morning, following some of Musk’s barbs, Johnson addressed the criticism, noting how he spoke to the co-chairs via text last night about the CR.

“I was in touch with Elon last night. Elon, Vivek and I are in the text chain together and I explained the background to this to them,” the speaker began.

Musk posted numerous messages Wednesday morning disparaging Johnson’s CR

Billions of dollars within the CR are intended to assist with disaster relief following the damage from Hurricane Helene, shown above

“They say, ‘This isn’t directed at you, Mr. Chairman, but we don’t like the expenditure.’ I said, guess what guys? Me neither,” Johnson said.

The Republican leader recounted how Ramaswamy admitted Johnson was “in an impossible position” and the speaker said he will be forced to rely on Democratic votes to get the CR passed.

“We have to get this done so that we don’t have a shutdown… and we get to March where we can put our fingerprints on spending,” Johnson continued. ‘Then the big changes begin.’

DOGE Co-Chairman Ramaswamy also posted about the CR after its release Tuesday.

‘I am currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government until mid-March. He expected every U.S. Congressman and Senator to do the same,” he posted on X.

Many conservative Republicans have expressed displeasure with the final CR, with one comparing it to a “dumpster fire” while another called it a “crap sandwich.”

Republican leaders are currently deciding on a time when the CR will be put to a vote, but when remains unclear.

Johnson’s unpopular decision will certainly be top of the agenda when Republicans vote in January on who they want as their next president.

Johnson is thought to be playing a role after Trump recently expressed his support for the Republican leader.

But with Musk’s discontent, hardline conservatives will have more ammunition to use against the speaker when they mount an attack on his grip on the gavel next year.