Elon Musk's Budget Cut Adventure: A New Tool in Town

Elon Musk, the billionaire known for his ambitious ventures, found himself on Capitol Hill, learning about a new trick up the sleeve of politicians. This tool is called budget rescissions. It's a way to make budget cuts official and permanent. Musk joined a group of Republican senators for lunch. They talked about how the White House could use this tool to make the billions of dollars in savings official. Musk seemed excited about this new information. The conversation happened just after a big court decision. The Supreme Court had a problem with the Trump administration's plan to freeze some $2 billion in foreign aid. Musk, however, was focused on the positive. He urged Congress to take action and make the budget cuts official. Later, Musk met with more Republicans, this time in the House. He talked about the potential for improving government spending. He mentioned that progress was being made. The senators explained that using budget rescissions could be the next step in Musk's efforts to make the government more efficient. The Trump administration is in a tough spot. They're fighting in court and with the public over budget cuts. They want to show that these cuts are more than just headlines about job losses. They want to prove that these cuts are real savings, helping to reduce the nation's massive deficit. The courts are not convinced about the legality of the Trump administration's actions. Lawmakers are facing protests from people worried about tens of thousands of federal workers losing their jobs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune even joked about Musk giving out his cellphone number. He said, "I thought, OK, his phone's going to start blowing up. He might want to change his number. " Senators said Musk's aide Katie Miller would set up a direct line for any questions or problems about the cuts. Sen. Josh Hawley said senators wanted better communication. He also said, "I don’t know that anyone at the White House knows what’s going to happen next. " It seems like Musk's team is just going from one thing to the next. It was Sen. Rand Paul who brought up the idea of using budget rescissions during the lunch meeting. He's known for being tough on federal spending. He said he would oppose the next federal funding package. Paul suggested that the administration should drop its plans to claw back federal funds through impoundments. He said, "My message to Elon was, let’s get over the impoundment idea and let’s send it back as a rescission. " Senators weren't sure how big the rescission packages could be or how soon they might vote on them. Musk has said he thinks his department can save some $1 trillion this year alone. GOP leaders didn't immediately comment on the rescission plans. The idea was only briefly mentioned at the meeting with House Republicans, who said Musk mainly provided examples of specific problems he was finding. Musk also told House Republicans he wasn't responsible for the firings of Department of Veterans Affairs workers or others. He said those decisions are being made by the specific agencies. "Elon doesn’t fire people, " Rep. Richard Hudson said afterward. "It’s the agencies. " A rescission package can be approved in the Senate by a simple majority vote. This would enable the Republican majority to maneuver around a potential filibuster by Democrats. However, it may be easier said than done. Senators on the Appropriations Committee are likely to oppose spending cuts that go against legislation they had already approved. It could be difficult to keep all Republicans unified on a vote, especially if all Democrats are opposed. Graham, the Budget chairman, sees the process as a way "for the White House to go on offense. " He said, "We’re losing altitude. We need to get back in the game, on offense, and the way you can regain altitude is to take the work product — get away from the personalities and the drama — take the work product and vote on it. " The lunch meeting with Musk didn't focus much on the federal workers who are now out of work after the cuts. "Any time there’s a transition, it’s difficult, " Paul said. He said several people spoke up to make sure "we’re not just getting rid of people that we actually need, and that we are not overdoing it. " Still, Paul said: "We do need a smaller government. We do need less federal workers. "