Trump ‘Totally Against’ Proposed CR To Avert Government Shutdown

President-elect Donald Trump is “totally against” the proposed Continuing Resolution, a stopgap bill that would kick the legislative football into 2025 and avert a government shutdown before members of Congress leave the Capitol for the holidays.

Fox News host Lawrence B. Jones reported the president-elect’s feelings on the matter via X, saying, “I just spoke with the President-Elect @realDonaldTrump, and he is ‘totally against’ the proposed CR.”

I just spoke with the President-Elect @realDonaldTrump , and he is “totally against” the proposed CR.

— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) December 18, 2024

A number in Trump’s orbit — including the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will together head up Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — have panned the CR.

Ramaswamy made his thoughts known in a lengthy post, stating that he’d waited to weigh in on the issue until he’d read the 1500+ pages and could make an informed decision.

The short answer, according to Ramaswamy, was that the CR was unnecessarily bulky: “If Congress wants to get serious about government efficiency, they should VOTE NO.”

“Keeping the government open until March 14 will cost ~$380BN by itself, but the true cost of this omnibus CR is far greater due to new spending,” Ramaswamy continued, explaining some of the expenditures the CR would authorize. “Renewing the Farm Bill for an extra year: ~$130BN. Disaster relief: $100BN. Stimulus for farmers: $10BN. The Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement: $8BN.”

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“The proposal adds at least 65 cents of new spending for every dollar of continued discretionary spending. The legislation will end up hurting many of the people it purports to help,” he added. “Debt-fueled spending sprees may ‘feel good’ today, but it’s like showering cocaine on an addict: it’s not compassion, it’s cruelty. Farmers will see more land sold to foreign buyers when taxes inevitably rise to meet our obligations. Our children will be saddled with crippling debt. Interest payments will be the largest item in our national budget.”

I wanted to read the full 1,500+ page bill & speak with key leaders before forming an opinion. Having done that, here's my view: it's full of excessive spending, special interest giveaways & pork barrel politics. If Congress wants to get serious about government efficiency, they…

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 18, 2024

Ramaswamy went on to argue that a true “stopgap” measure could have been accomplished in 20 pages, and that the additional material amounted to spending that was either not necessary at all, or at the very least, not immediately so.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has defended the CR, arguing that it would take care of a few necessary items while pushing a vote on larger and more long-term expenditures until March, when Trump will be in the White House and Republicans will control both the House and the Senate.

“Republicans CANNOT allow millions of Americans devastated by the historic hurricane season, or our struggling farmers, go without the help they desperately need. We will decide FY25 spending in March, when Trump is back in the WH and Republicans control the Senate and House,” he posted via X.

Republicans CANNOT allow millions of Americans devastated by the historic hurricane season, or our struggling farmers, go without the help they desperately need.  

We will decide FY25 spending in March, when Trump is back in the WH and Republicans control the Senate and House. pic.twitter.com/f8OpQleOoJ

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 18, 2024