President-elect Donald Trump’s wealthy supporter, Elon Musk, played a significant role this week in undermining a bipartisan funding bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown. Musk expressed his opposition to the proposal through a barrage of over 100 posts on X, some of which contained incorrect information.
Musk, who wields considerable influence on the platform, appears to have swayed Congressional decisions without paying heed to the facts. This incident has raised concerns about his potential impact on governance in the upcoming years. John Mark Hansen, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, remarked that Trump may find himself navigating new challenges with Musk, who seems poised to influence discussions in Congress much like Trump did previously. Hansen noted that Musk’s bold assertions could face scrutiny when they clash with political realities, particularly regarding budget cuts directed at particular spending without affecting NASA contracts.
Musk’s criticisms of the 1,547-page omnibus bill highlighted various misconceptions about congressional salaries, federal funding allocations, and public health readiness. He claimed that the bill included a remarkable 40% pay increase for lawmakers. However, the Congressional Research Service clarified that the maximum possible increase under the legislation could only be 3.8%. Currently, most Congress members earn $174,000, following a 2.8% raise that took place in 2009. The proposed raise, if approved, would elevate their salaries by roughly $6,600 annually.
Additionally, Musk shared misleading information from another user, which alleged that the legislation would allocate $3 billion for a new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders. He expressed his disapproval, stating, “This should not be funded by your tax dollars!” In actuality, the bill included a provision that would transfer control of the land on which RFK Stadium resides to the District of Columbia, an essential move for the team to pursue a new stadium in their historic region. However, the bill did not allocate federal money for this potential endeavor, explicitly stating that the federal government would not cover costs incurred by D.C. after completing the land transfer, aside from specific environmental responsibilities.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed these misleading allegations during a press conference, calling the misinformation “frustrating.” She firmly stated that claims regarding a $3 billion stadium funding in the continuing resolution were incorrect and clarified that the legislation does not relate to any funding for a stadium.
In another post, Musk wrongly asserted that the bill would finance “bioweapon labs.” Contrarily, the plan includes funding for up to 12 regional biocontainment research laboratories dedicated to biomedical studies aimed at preparing for biological threats like emerging infectious diseases.
Several Congressional members expressed their disappointment over Musk’s spread of falsehoods regarding the bill. Representative Dan Crenshaw from Texas urged Musk to take a moment to verify his sources before promoting misleading narratives.
The House held a quick vote Thursday night on a revised bill backed by Trump that was significantly shorter at 116 pages. However, it was rejected with a vote of 174-235, as many Republicans joined Democrats in opposition. Eventually, the House passed a third spending agreement on Friday, which the Senate approved early Saturday, with President Joe Biden expected to sign it into law later that day.
Trump’s previous tenure was marked by significant governmental shutdowns, notably leading the longest shutdown during the 2018 holiday season and disrupting the passage of a bipartisan COVID-relief package in 2020.
