Musk slams Trump-backed Senate bill as ‘utterly insane and destructive’

WASHINGTON: Tech billionaire Elon Musk strongly criticised President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” calling it “political suicide for the Republican Party,” The Hill reported.

“Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party,” Musk said in an X post on Saturday. In another message, he branded the Senate draft as “utterly insane and destructive,” stating, “It will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” The Hill noted.

Musk has previously slammed the bill, describing it as a “disgusting abomination.” “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” he wrote in early June on X, according to The Hill.

On Saturday, Senate Republicans narrowly advanced the 1,000-page legislation to enact Trump’s agenda, despite opposition from Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Paul opposed a $5 trillion increase in the debt limit, while Tillis warned the bill would cost North Carolina USD 38.9 billion in Medicaid funding.

Musk also engaged in a public feud with Trump following his departure from the Trump administration, during which he called for the former president’s impeachment and accused him of being linked to the files of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Amid mounting conservative dissent, US President Donald Trump has urged Senate Republicans to overrule the chamber’s parliamentarian to secure passage of key provisions in the sweeping domestic policy bill, The Hill reported.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump endorsed Republican Representative Greg Steube’s call to bypass the Senate Parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who recently ruled against including certain Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Great, Congressman Greg Steube is 100% correct. An unelected Senate Staffer (Parliamentarian), should not be allowed to hurt the Republicans Bill. Wants many fantastic things out. NO! DJT,” Trump wrote.

As per The Hill, hardline conservatives are escalating pressure following McDonough’s Thursday decision, which rejected key Medicaid provisions, sparking calls from GOP lawmakers in both chambers to challenge her ruling directly on the Senate floor.

“The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people. Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters,” Steube said on social media, questioning how a long-serving, unelected official could block legislation championed by Trump and his supporters.

Overturning the parliamentarian’s guidance would require a presiding senator to issue a contradictory ruling, backed by at least 51 votes in the chamber. This would allow the disputed provisions to proceed, circumventing the traditional reconciliation process that otherwise requires strict compliance with budgetary rules.

MacDonough, appointed as Senate Parliamentarian in 2012 by then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, is the first woman to hold the role. The position serves to determine whether provisions in budget-related bills comply with Senate reconciliation rules, which allow certain legislation to bypass a filibuster and pass with a simple majority.

According to The Hill, Senate Democrats are also pressing Republicans to consult with the parliamentarian on whether permanently extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts would violate reconciliation guidelines by increasing future federal deficits. Democrats say Republicans have so far refused to engage in those discussions.

The outcome of that procedural debate could determine whether Republicans must alter the 940-page bill on the Senate floor. Senate Democrats previously attempted to overrule the parliamentarian during deliberations on their Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

The Senate narrowly advanced Trump’s bill on Saturday night after making adjustments to address the parliamentarian’s concerns. Still, The Hill noted that Democrats are weighing whether to force a formal floor ruling on the tax cut extension when the Senate reconvenes Monday — a decision that could significantly impact the bill’s trajectory. (ANI)