It's Dead: Bloated Budget Bill Bites the Dust, Marks End of 'Pass the Bill to Learn What's in It' Era of Gov't Spending

A 1,500-page continuing resolution met its demise on Wednesday after a conservative backlash, fueled by the power of social media, caused it to sink in Congress.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise declared the expansive spending bill was “dead,” adding that House leadership was “looking at a number of options,” as reported by the Washington Examiner.

“The voice of the people was heard. This was a good day for America,” billionaire Elon Musk posted on X, highlighting his role in galvanizing opposition to the bill.

With Congress failing to approve a federal budget on schedule, continuing resolutions have been used to keep government operations running. However, the latest resolution—set to expire Friday—was overshadowed by a controversial spending package that exceeded basic operational needs.

While some labeled the bill as typical Washington excess, House Speaker Mike Johnson initially expressed optimism that it would pass, as noted by The Hill. That confidence was soon challenged by private-sector figures Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who took to social media to criticize the bill for its pay raises, special interest provisions, and lack of transparency.

Their efforts were amplified by a statement on Truth Social from Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. The statement lambasted the bill, accusing it of providing “sweetheart provisions for government censors” and shielding records from the January 6 committee, which they criticized for its lack of accountability.

“Congress is considering a spending bill that would give sweetheart provisions for government censors and for Liz Cheney. The bill would make it easier to hide the records of the corrupt January 6 committee—which accomplished nothing for the American people and hid security failures that happened that day,” they stated.

They urged Republicans to “GET SMART and TOUGH,” adding, “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief.”

Trump called for a streamlined funding bill that excludes concessions to Democrats, stating that “supporting a bill America opposes would have consequences.” He warned, “Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried.”

Criticism of the bill also extended to congressional pay increases. Trump remarked, “This is not a good time for Congress to be asking for pay increases. Hopefully, you’ll be entitled to such an increase in the near future when we ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’”

Trump also rejected provisions supporting the “Communist Global Engagement Center,” a project he attributed to Hillary Clinton, calling its extension a “suicidal” move for Republicans.

The uproar ultimately led to the bill’s collapse, leaving Congress to reconsider its next steps before the looming Friday deadline.