The White House has dismissed the criticism of the budget bill by Elon Musk, asserting that the bill does not contribute to the deficit.
What Happened: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Musk’s criticism during a Tuesday briefing. She affirmed that the President’s opinion remains firm despite Musk’s views, characterizing the bill as “one big, beautiful bill.”
"It doesn't change the President's opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it," stated Leavitt.
Leavitt further emphasized the administration’s belief that it is “blatantly wrong” to suggest that the bill adds to the deficit. This was in response to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s report, which suggested that the budget package could inflate the deficit by $3.8 trillion over the forthcoming decade. Leavitt accused the office of harboring a bias against Republicans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also stood by the bill, asserting that Musk was “terribly wrong” about it. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, promised that Congress would integrate some of DOGE’s proposed government-spending cuts into a rescissions package.
Latest Startup Investment Opportunities:
Why It Matters: Musk’s criticism of the budget bill comes in the wake of his recent condemnation of the bill as a “disgusting abomination”. The bill, which has been described by Musk as a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled” spending package, has stirred controversy among lawmakers and industry leaders.
Musk ended his 130-day tenure as DOGE leader a week ago.
Notably, the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House has submitted a $9.4 billion rescissions package to Congress, seeking lawmakers’ nod to reverse previously approved spending. The proposal includes $8.3 billion in foreign aid cuts and $1.1 billion from public media, needing only a simple majority to pass in the GOP-led Congress. Additionally, the administration is weighing the use of impoundment to reclaim funds without congressional approval, a move that could trigger a legal fight.
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
