The picture that tells you everything you need to know about what DOGE will do to the federal government
Share:
It appears Elon Musk's mandate from Donald Trump to eliminate the government bloat is already well underway. Speaker Mike Johnson scrambled to craft a last-minute spending bill to avoid a government shutdown after Trump and Musk tanked his initial plan.
![[President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. The two disliked Johnson's original spending plan and so they had him change it]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/22/93334781-14211829-image-a-2_1734646192762.jpg)
Musk, the co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), openly ridiculed Johnson's original nearly 1,600-page bill on X. And Trump demanded that the bill, which he called a 'nasty trap' set by Democrats, be renegotiated. He also warned House Republicans against supporting the bloated measure including a pay raise for Congress, additional disaster spending and other unrelated spending measures.
![[Speaker Mike Johnson has spent the last days drafting and then re-drafting legislation to avoid a government shutdown]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/23/93334775-14211829-Speaker_Mike_Johnson_has_spent_the_last_days_drafting_and_then_r-a-62_1734649439925.jpg)
'Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried,' he wrote on his TruthSocial platform. As a result of the mounting pressure, Johnson and his leadership team struck a deal on much more trimmed down bill - just 116 pages - one day later.
![[A top senator is now floating the idea of replacing Johnson as the top Republican in the House with maverick Elon Musk]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/23/93318169-14211829-A_top_senator_is_now_floating_the_idea_of_replacing_Johnson_as_t-a-63_1734649440047.jpg)
Musk posted a photo on X of the stack of pages in the legislation showing 'Yesterday's bill' versus 'today's bill' difference. However, the new 116-page bill spectacularly failed on the House floor Thursday evening after Republicans and Democrats voted against the measure.
![[Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky., says the Constitution does not require the speaker to be a member of Congress, opening the door for fresh blood]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/22/93277847-14211829-Sen_Rand_Paul_R_Ky_says_the_Constitution_does_not_require_the_sp-a-3_1734647753511.jpg)
Musk posted a photo on X of the stack of pages in the legislation showing 'Yesterday's bill' versus 'today's bill' difference. President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. The two disliked Johnson's original spending plan and so they had him change it.
