Trump bill takes unfriendly fire from GOP allies

The Hill

2 days ago

President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' took unfriendly fire from several White House allies Tuesday, including Elon Musk, complicating its path out of the Senate and to the president's desk.
Musk offered stinging criticism of the bill just days after he left the administration, calling it 'a disgusting abomination.'
'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' Musk posted on his social platform X.
'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' the tech mogul continued, taking direct aim at House Republicans and drawing rebukes from GOP leaders in Congress.
It's all a matter of bad timing for the president, who just went into overdrive seeking to win over GOP critics of the House bill. Trump made a series of calls in recent days as he begins the effort to get the bill through the Senate, where it faces calls for more spending cuts from the likes of Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
Separately, GOP senators such as Josh Hawley (Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) have other worries, ranging from what the bill would do to those on Medicaid to green tax credits.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had to react to the Musk missive in real time, as a reporter read her his post.
'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,' she said, brushing off Musk's bruising commentary. 'It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one, big, beautiful bill and he's sticking to it.'
A few GOP senators, though, quickly sided with Musk.
Paul backed the billionaire's comments after he had doubled down on his own objections to the bill, saying that he strongly opposes raising the debt ceiling, which would be hiked by $4 trillion under the current legislation.
The president earlier Tuesday had directly slammed Paul, accusing the Kentucky lawmaker of voting 'NO on everything' and 'never' having 'practical or constructive ideas.'
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also backed Musk, calling the deficit increase 'nothing short of stunning.'
Johnson, another Trump ally, has harped on the need for the bill to be slashed in size in a series of cable news interviews.
The White House on Tuesday signaled it wasn't worried about the GOP criticism.
'Those senators, it's not news that they disagree with this president on policy and the president has vocally called them out for it and for not having their facts together,' Leavitt said, calling the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 'historically wrong' over its cost projections of the GOP plan.
'He's entitled to his opinion. I think that's a bit strong,' added Tillis, who told The Hill earlier in the day that he would oppose the House bill if that were the final version.
'I think there's a fair amount of policy in the bill. I think what Elon is talking about is a fraction of the bill. I don't believe he's focusing on a number of the things that even the American people's not focused on.'
The airing of grievances comes at a make-or-break moment for the GOP, as they try to complete work by July Fourth, which members have laid out as a goal date as they attempt to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and eliminate taxes on tips, among other things.
Trump is getting in on the action, speaking over the phone or meeting in person with Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Hawley, Johnson and Paul in recent days.
'He knows the list,' said one source familiar with the Senate state of play, referring to the members who must be won over.
According to Johnson, Trump called him recently after his multiple TV appearances where he has heaped criticism on the House bill and talked up the needed spending cuts.
'He understands my concerns. He would love to return to reasonable, pre-pandemic spending,' Johnson said of Trump. '[That's] hard to accomplish in the House, I recognize that fact as well. … He expressed his concerns and I expressed mine. They're legitimate concerns on both sides.'
The Wisconsin Republican also noted that he spoke on Monday night with White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who subsequently appeared at the weekly Senate GOP luncheon on Tuesday.
Trump is 'deeply involved' with 'personally advocating' for the bill and there will be additional meetings going forward between the administration and lawmakers to get it passed, a White House official told The Hill.
Hawley told The Hill that their discussion is part of a 'rolling' one centered on his opposition to Medicaid benefit cuts — an opposition that Trump shares.
'We talk on a pretty consistent basis,' he said. 'He's so involved. On the House side, they wouldn't have landed the plane without him.'
'He's very — to put it mildly — very, very involved, and I think he'll be, as the bill comes into focus on this side, I think he'll get more involved,' Hawley continued. 'He's how [Speaker] Mike Johnson passed it. Without him, they would never have passed it.'
Scott said that he met with Trump at the White House at the president's behest to discuss the avenue to getting it done. The Florida Republican has been aligned with Johnson and Lee in the hopes of increasing spending cuts.
Paul also said that he had a 'lengthy' call with the president in recent days. The Kentucky Republican has long been believed to be the toughest GOP member to win over, given his opposition to the debt ceiling hike.
'He did most of the talking,' Paul said.
Although members concede Trump's impact is more acute with House members, given the political dynamics in the chamber, they still see the president as having real sway to get the package over the finish line.
'He's the closer,' Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told The Hill. 'The president clearly is very dialed in right now.'