Musk and Republicans discuss package to vote on DOGE cuts as shutdown nears
Elon Musk met with Senate Republicans for nearly two hours in a closed-door lunch meeting Wednesday, seeking to reassure them amid voter angst over the sweeping cuts his Department of Government Efficiency is making.
WASHINGTON — Elon Musk met with Senate Republicans for nearly two hours in a closed-door lunch meeting Wednesday, seeking to reassure them amid voter anxiety over the sweeping cuts his Department of Government Efficiency is making.
They discussed a “rescission” package that the White House could send to Congress to codify his cuts through a measure that can get around the 60-vote hurdle in order to get around legal challenges to the administration’s power to act unilaterally.
“To me, it’s ephemeral now. I love all the stuff they’re doing, but we got to vote on it. So my message to Elon was let’s get over the impoundment idea, and let’s send it back as a rescission package,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told reporters. “Because then what we have to do is lobby to get to 51 senators or 50 senators to cut the spending.”
Multiple senators said Musk was surprised to learn there was a viable legislative pathway to making DOGE’s cuts permeant. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Musk was “so happy” when he heard the news, telling reporters that Musk pumped his fists and danced.
He backed the idea Paul raised.
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