Latest news with #House-crafted
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump: Musk will face ‘serious consequences' if he donates to Democrats
President Trump on Saturday said tech billionaire Elon Musk will face 'serious consequences' if he moves to support Democratic political candidates in any upcoming elections, following a public rift between the two in recent days. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said Musk 'will have to pay the consequences' if he backs opponents to GOP lawmakers who support the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill.' 'He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,' he told the outlet. The president's remarks comes after he signaled his bromance with Musk is over as a tiff about the GOP megabill spiraled into an all-out brawl on social media. Musk went so far as to allege that Trump is named in the Jeffrey Epstein files, backed a call for impeachment and suggested he would have lost the presidential election without his support. Trump in response threatened to cancel federal government contracts for Musk's companies while calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO 'crazy.' Prior to the implosion of the duo's relationship, the tech mogul indicated he would roll back his political spending in upcoming elections. 'In terms of political spending, I'm going to do a lot less in the future,' Musk said last month. 'If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it,' he added. 'I do not currently see a reason.' The billionaire became one of the most powerful forces in U.S. politics after he threw his support behind Trump's reelection bid last summer, spending at least $250 million. He soon became a central figure in the White House as he advised the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration's efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Musk left the administration late last month as he voiced opposition to the House-crafted GOP spending bill over its potential impact on the national debt. When asked by NBC on Saturday if the president intends to reconcile with Musk, Trump replied in the negative. But he reiterated his confidence in his budget bill despite some GOP concerns in the upper chamber. 'The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It's never been. It's actually more so than it was three days ago,' Trump said, stating Musk's outburst benefited his push to get the bill passed before July 4. 'I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren't as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,' the president added. 'So in that sense, there was a big favor. But I think Elon, really, I think it's a shame that he's so depressed and so heartbroken.' Some of Musk's social media posts that intensified the feud on Thursday have since been deleted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump: Musk will face ‘serious consequences' if he donates to Democrats
President Trump on Saturday said tech billionaire Elon Musk will face 'serious consequences' if he moves to support Democratic political candidates in any upcoming elections, following a public rift between the two in recent days. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said Musk 'will have to pay the consequences' if he backs opponents to GOP lawmakers who support the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill.' 'He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,' he told the outlet. The president's remarks comes after he signaled his bromance with Musk is over as a tiff about the GOP megabill spiraled into an all-out brawl on social media. Musk went so far as to allege that Trump is named in the Jeffrey Epstein files, backed a call for impeachment and suggested he would have lost the presidential election without his support. Trump in response threatened to cancel federal government contracts for Musk's companies while calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO 'crazy.' Prior to the implosion of the duo's relationship, the tech mogul indicated he would roll back his political spending in upcoming elections. 'In terms of political spending, I'm going to do a lot less in the future,' Musk said last month. 'If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it,' he added. 'I do not currently see a reason.' The billionaire became one of the most powerful forces in U.S. politics after he threw his support behind Trump's reelection bid last summer, spending at least $250 million. He soon became a central figure in the White House as he advised the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration's efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Musk left the administration late last month as he voiced opposition to the House-crafted GOP spending bill over its potential impact on the national debt. When asked by NBC on Saturday if the president intends to reconcile with Musk, Trump replied in the negative. But he reiterated his confidence in his budget bill despite some GOP concerns in the upper chamber. 'The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It's never been. It's actually more so than it was three days ago,' Trump said, stating Musk's outburst benefited his push to get the bill passed before July 4. 'I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren't as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,' the president added. 'So in that sense, there was a big favor. But I think Elon, really, I think it's a shame that he's so depressed and so heartbroken.' Some of Musk's social media posts that intensified the feud on Thursday have since been deleted.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Trump faces toughest House GOP test yet on budget blueprint
President Trump has succeeded in uniting House Republicans ahead of a number of high-stakes votes this year — the Speaker's race, the House-crafted budget resolution and a government funding bill — cajoling skeptical GOP lawmakers into backing the efforts despite their qualms. But this time around, the president may not have the same impact. Wednesday's looming House vote on the Senate's framework for advancing Trump's legislative agenda is shaping up to be one of the president's toughest tests yet on Capitol Hill, as hardline Republicans dismiss the White House's public — and private — entreaties to line up behind the measure that will unlock the process to enact tax cuts, border funding and energy policy. Trump has been running a full-court press when it comes to lobbying. The president hosted a meeting with some holdouts at the White House Tuesday afternoon, has fired off a number of Truth Social posts calling on Republicans to back the measure, and gave hardliners a stern talking to during the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) fundraiser Tuesday evening. 'They have to do this. We have to get there. I think we are there. We had a great meeting today,' Trump, donned in a bow tie, said at the dinner in Washington. 'But just in case there are a couple of Republicans out there. You just gotta get there. Close your eyes and get there. It's a phenomenal bill. Stop grandstanding. Just stop grandstanding.' Officials with the White House's Office of Legislative Affairs have also been making calls to House Republicans, a source told The Hill. For now, however, those tactics are not working. Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) — who was at the White House meeting — and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) reiterated Wednesday morning that they will vote against the legislation when it hits the floor, digging in on their opposition hours before the measure is scheduled to hit the floor. 'I will not support this on the floor,' Norman said during a Rules Committee meeting. 'It doesn't make financial sense.' Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who attended the NRCC dinner and listened to the president's remarks, told The Hill Tuesday night that despite the president's sharp words, he could not get behind the budget resolution. 'I support DJT however the Senate plan is a joke, not serious and offensive,' he said in a text message. Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, have also said they are opposed to the legislation, among others. That opposition is sure to spark alarm bells for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who can only afford to lose three GOP votes and still adopt the budget resolution, assuming united Democratic opposition and full attendance. The Speaker wants to get the measure over the finish line before the House breaks for a two-week recess on Thursday to celebrate Passover and Easter. But the hardening resistance is also a concerning dynamic for Trump, who is looking to maintain his influence over the ideologically diverse Republican conference — and is at risk seeing that grip weaken. The president did, for his part, notch two victories on Tuesday in getting Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) to support the budget resolution. Steube had previously declared himself undecided. But at roughly every other turn of the budget resolution saga, the president has been brushed aside by hardliners. First, Harris, the Freedom Caucus chair, declined an invitation to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, signaling that he had no appetite to be strong-armed by the president on the resolution. 'There's nothing that I can hear at the White House that I don't understand about the situation,' Harris told reporters ahead of the meeting. 'It's not going to help getting enough votes to pass this this week. It's just there too many members who are just not going to vote for it, no matter what.' Then, after the meeting, some attendees say they had not been swayed. 'The math still doesn't add up,' Roy, one of the most outspoken critics of the Senate's blueprint, said after the meeting. 'The Senate budget still, in my view, produces significant deficits.' The apparent willingness among the hardline conservatives to brush aside Trump's lobbying is a newfound stance in 119th Congress for House Republicans, after those very tactics helped move votes in the beginning months of the term. Most recently in March, Trump's endorsement of a government funding bill got all but one Republican on board despite initial skepticism after calling some of the holdouts in the final hours before the vote. The president successfully utilized the same playbook in February, when he helped House GOP leaders muscle their budget resolution through the chamber after opposition mounted. His intervention made for a dramatic scene on the House floor: Three GOP lawmakers initially planned to vote against the legislation when it came to the floor, prompting leaders to keep a prior vote open for more than an hour as they lobbied, then cancel it altogether when the hardliners remained unmoved. Shortly after, however, leaders brought the measure back to the floor and it was adopted. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), one of the final holdouts, cited a 'personal commitment' from Trump as one of the reasons why she changed her stance. And in January, during the first vote of the 119th Congress, Trump spoke to two of the holdouts just off the House floor after they voted for someone other than the Speaker. After those conversations, the hardliners backed the Louisiana Republican. But as of now, that past does not seem to be dictating prologue, as hardliners say they will not relent to the president's strong-arming — at least for now. 'Totally appreciate the president, where he stands on this,' Ogles said on Tuesday, But, he argued, the Senate's 'proposal is a joke.' As Wednesday's early-evening vote nears, Trump could ramp up his lobbying efforts by calling the critics directly, a strategy he has successfully executed in the past. Asked Wednesday morning if he expected Trump to call the holdouts, Johnson said the president offered to do so but noted that he did not want it to get to that point. 'I hope it doesn't come to that,' he told Politico. The opposition among hardline conservatives is rooted in two parts of the Senate's budget resolution. Lawmakers have expressed exasperation that the blueprint includes different spending cut minimums for each chamber. House committees, for example, are directed to find at least $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal spending, while Senate panels are mandated to slash at least $4 billion in federal spending — a large discrepancy. Those on the right-flank have sounded off on the Senate's use of the budgetary gimmick known as current policy baseline to permanently extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts. The idea assumes that the extension of the tax cuts would not add anything to the deficit despite the Joint Committee on Taxation estimating it could cost around $4 billion. 'The House passed our budget resolution weeks ago with $1.5-2 trillion in cuts over ten years. The Senate's $4 billion cuts over the same ten years is an unserious attempt to right our economic ship. Promising to fight 'next time' is futile when 'next time' never arrives,' Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz) wrote on X. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Why Trump faces toughest House GOP test yet on budget blueprint
President Trump has succeeded in uniting House Republicans ahead of a number of high-stakes votes this year — the Speaker's race, the House-crafted budget resolution and a government funding bill — cajoling skeptical GOP lawmakers into backing the efforts despite their qualms. But this time around, the president may not have the same impact. Wednesday's looming House vote on the Senate's framework for advancing Trump's legislative agenda is shaping up to be one of the president's toughest tests yet on Capitol Hill, as hardline Republicans dismiss the White House's public — and private — entreaties to line up behind the measure that will unlock the process to enact tax cuts, border funding and energy policy. Trump has been running a full-court press when it comes to lobbying. The president hosted a meeting with some holdouts at the White House Tuesday afternoon, has fired off a number of Truth Social posts calling on Republicans to back the measure, and gave hardliners a stern talking to during the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) fundraiser Tuesday evening. 'They have to do this. We have to get there. I think we are there. We had a great meeting today,' Trump, donned in a bow tie, said at the dinner in Washington. 'But just in case there are a couple of Republicans out there. You just gotta get there. Close your eyes and get there. It's a phenomenal bill. Stop grandstanding. Just stop grandstanding.' Officials with the White House's Office of Legislative Affairs have also been making calls to House Republicans, a source told The Hill. For now, however, those tactics are not working. Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) — who was at the White House meeting — and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) reiterated Wednesday morning that they will vote against the legislation when it hits the floor, digging in on their opposition hours before the measure is scheduled to hit the floor. 'I will not support this on the floor,' Norman said during a Rules Committee meeting. 'It doesn't make financial sense.' Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who attended the NRCC dinner and listened to the president's remarks, told The Hill Tuesday night that despite the president's sharp words, he could not get behind the budget resolution. 'I support DJT however the Senate plan is a joke, not serious and offensive,' he said in a text message. Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, have also said they are opposed to the legislation, among others. That opposition is sure to spark alarm bells for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who can only afford to lose three GOP votes and still adopt the budget resolution, assuming united Democratic opposition and full attendance. The Speaker wants to get the measure over the finish line before the House breaks for a two-week recess on Thursday to celebrate Passover and Easter. But the hardening resistance is also a concerning dynamic for Trump, who is looking to maintain his influence over the ideologically diverse Republican conference — and is at risk seeing that grip weaken. The president did, for his part, notch two victories on Tuesday in getting Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) to support the budget resolution. Steube had previously declared himself undecided. But at roughly every other turn of the budget resolution saga, the president has been brushed aside by hardliners. First, Harris, the Freedom Caucus chair, declined an invitation to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, signaling that he had no appetite to be strong-armed by the president on the resolution. 'There's nothing that I can hear at the White House that I don't understand about the situation,' Harris told reporters ahead of the meeting. 'It's not going to help getting enough votes to pass this this week. It's just there too many members who are just not going to vote for it, no matter what.' Then, after the meeting, some attendees say they had not been swayed. 'The math still doesn't add up,' Roy, one of the most outspoken critics of the Senate's blueprint, said after the meeting. 'The Senate budget still, in my view, produces significant deficits.' The apparent willingness among the hardline conservatives to brush aside Trump's lobbying is a newfound stance in 119th Congress for House Republicans, after those very tactics helped move votes in the beginning months of the term. Most recently in March, Trump's endorsement of a government funding bill got all but one Republican on board despite initial skepticism after calling some of the holdouts in the final hours before the vote. The president successfully utilized the same playbook in February, when he helped House GOP leaders muscle their budget resolution through the chamber after opposition mounted. His intervention made for a dramatic scene on the House floor: Three GOP lawmakers initially planned to vote against the legislation when it came to the floor, prompting leaders to keep a prior vote open for more than an hour as they lobbied, then cancel it altogether when the hardliners remained unmoved. Shortly after, however, leaders brought the measure back to the floor and it was adopted. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), one of the final holdouts, cited a 'personal commitment' from Trump as one of the reasons why she changed her stance. And in January, during the first vote of the 119th Congress, Trump spoke to two of the holdouts just off the House floor after they voted for someone other than the Speaker. After those conversations, the hardliners backed the Louisiana Republican. But as of now, that past does not seem to be dictating prologue, as hardliners say they will not relent to the president's strong-arming — at least for now. 'Totally appreciate the president, where he stands on this,' Ogles said on Tuesday, But, he argued, the Senate's 'proposal is a joke.' As Wednesday's early-evening vote nears, Trump could ramp up his lobbying efforts by calling the critics directly, a strategy he has successfully executed in the past. Asked Wednesday morning if he expected Trump to call the holdouts, Johnson said the president offered to do so but noted that he did not want it to get to that point. 'I hope it doesn't come to that,' he told Politico. The opposition among hardline conservatives is rooted in two parts of the Senate's budget resolution. Lawmakers have expressed exasperation that the blueprint includes different spending cut minimums for each chamber. House committees, for example, are directed to find at least $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal spending, while Senate panels are mandated to slash at least $4 billion in federal spending — a large discrepancy. Those on the right-flank have sounded off on the Senate's use of the budgetary gimmick known as current policy baseline to permanently extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts. The idea assumes that the extension of the tax cuts would not add anything to the deficit despite the Joint Committee on Taxation estimating it could cost around $4 billion. 'The House passed our budget resolution weeks ago with $1.5-2 trillion in cuts over ten years. The Senate's $4 billion cuts over the same ten years is an unserious attempt to right our economic ship. Promising to fight 'next time' is futile when 'next time' never arrives,' Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz) wrote on X.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Incandescent' anger at Schumer a distraction from fighting DOGE: Begala
The 'incandescent' anger directed at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) from the members of his party is, in part, a distraction from fighting against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its effort to overhaul the federal government, according to CNN political contributor Paul Begala. Begala, who was an adviser to former President Clinton, said he has 'never seen the party this angry at its leader, Sen. Schumer.' 'It's incandescent. It's hard for me to describe. They're furious. And here's why. He had something very valuable. He had voted to pass the continuing resolution that Republicans could not do without them. And he traded them away for nothing,' the veteran consultant said during his Monday appearance on CNN's 'The Lead.' Schumer, the Democrats' longtime leader in the Senate, is facing pushback over his vote to help advance a House-crafted continuing resolution that ended up being adopted last week. His decision is being questioned by some of his Democratic colleagues in the chamber. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has advocated for loudly opposing Trump's agenda, told The Hill that Democrats in the upper chamber are risking ending up 'irrelevant if we don't use our power on cloture to demand that we have a seat at the table,' adding that 'we obviously have to make sure that we aren't cut out of negotiations in the future.' Begala said he and 'most' Democrats do not want a government shutdown, but argued the party caved 'without a compromise.' 'I want the government to stay open. Most Democrats do. The funding level is actually not all that bad. There was some terrible stuff they added to it. But when I came to them a month ago, seriously, this was strategic as well as tactical,' Begala said Monday. 'Tactical was bad to cave without a compromise. Strategically, he should have come to his party a month ago and said, here are our principles.' The political commentator said the Democrats in the Senate could have worked more to draw out concessions from GOP lawmakers, but the spotlight should be aimed at the DOGE, the Musk-led advisory board whose staffers have gained access to several government agencies as part of the administration's push to downsize the scope of the government workforce, cut spending and reduced waste. Begala said that, for him, such action would've been a 'crackdown' on the people 'working for Mr. Musk in destroying our Constitution.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
