Washington — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas in contrast Elon Musk to an unelected prime minister after the Tesla CEO acquired concerned in a tumultuous funding struggle on Capitol Hill this week that prompted concern over a attainable authorities shutdown — and previewed dynamics underneath a GOP-controlled Washington.
“We have now a president, we’ve got a vp, we’ve got a speaker. It feels as if Elon Musk is our prime minister,” Gonzales mentioned on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
After days of uncertainty, Congress accredited a measure to maintain the federal government funded till mid March, which President Biden signed Saturday to avert a shutdown. However the decision got here after a number of dashed makes an attempt to fund the federal government, together with a bipartisan deal scuttled following intense pushback from Musk, who President-elect Donald Trump has chosen to guide a brand new company known as the Division of Authorities Effectivity or DOGE. After’s Musk’s criticism, Trump in the end delievered the ultimate blow.
Musk, who spent $277 million to assist Trump win the election and has since turn out to be a key member of the president-elect’s mind belief, posted dozens of occasions on his social media platform X opposing the preliminary authorities funding measure following its launch. Hours later, after Trump intervened, the deal was lifeless.
Gonzales, who was amongst 34 Republicans who opposed the ultimate measure to maintain the federal government funded, mentioned he did so as a result of his constituents had been in opposition to the persevering with decision, or CR, “simply as a lot as I used to be in opposition to the CR.”
“It was a vote on my finish to say, let’s do our job,” he mentioned, arguing that there is a “illness in DC” that will not be cured by “large, lengthy pork-filled payments.”
The Texas Republicans mentioned he spoke with Musk a pair occasions throughout the week. And Gonzales argued that, though unelected, Musk has a voice that’s largely “a mirrored image of the voice of the individuals.” He additionally argued that Trump deserves credit score for whittling the invoice down from its preliminary kind.
In the meantime, the spending laws, together with the following chaos within the Home, prompted intense criticism of Home Speaker Mike Johnson for his dealing with of the scenario. At the very least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, mentioned he would not help Johnson for speaker within the new Congress, whereas questions swirled about his potential to retain sufficient help to carry onto the gavel.
Regardless of his opposition to the laws, Gonzales mentioned he helps Johnson as speaker, arguing that “he is completed a implausible job conserving us all collectively” and noting that “it is like feral cats within the Home.”
Gonzales mentioned Johnson has “a tricky job to start with,” whereas including that the speaker’s potential to work with the president-elect and Musk to discover a answer “simply goes to show that he is discovered a means.”
