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Elon Musk ‘Elated’ to Learn Congress Might Rubber-Stamp His Cuts
Intelligencer via MSN ^ | 03/06/2025 | Ed Kilgore

Posted on 03/06/2025 6:31:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind

You’d think the man that Donald Trump empowered to tear the federal bureaucracy limb from limb would have taken the trouble to familiarize himself with the procedures available for cutting federal spending in a more orthodox manner. But it seems Elon Musk did not know there was a way to cut current-year spending without unleashing kiddie coders to commandeer federal-agency data and boss around (or fire) personnel, as Axios reports after Musk’s March 5 meeting with congressional Republicans:

Elon Musk and Republican senators are eyeing a package to claw back tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending after meeting in a closed-door lunch on Wednesday. …

Musk has been leading the charge on spending cuts from the White House. Some lawmakers want to make his actions more permanent by making them law.

No decisions have been made, but there was some early, general support for the idea being pushed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) after the lunch. An infamous deficit hawk, Paul pitched Elon Musk on a massive rescission package during a lunch on Wednesday, he told reporters. Such a package would undo federal funding already approved by Congress.

The bill would also only require 51 votes to pass the Senate — no Democrats needed. Paul said specific numbers weren’t discussed, but he’d like to see $500 billion. …

Musk “was elated” at the idea, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told reporters. “I think he didn’t realize it could be done at 51.”

What they were talking about is an arcane procedure, called rescissions, established by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 wherein the president can propose clawbacks of unspent current-year appropriations and Congress can approve them on a fast-track vote that cannot be filibustered .

It’s a counterpart to the future-year cuts obtainable through budget-reconciliation bills,

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: budgetcuts; doge; musk; randpaul
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1 posted on 03/06/2025 6:31:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

MORE HERE:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/musk-said-be-elated-over-pauls-rescission-idea-slashing-budget-500-billion

[EXCERPT]

Rescission offers a means by which presidents can collaborate with Congress to cancel previously-appropriated spending. Enabled by Title X of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the rarely-used process starts with the president sending a special message to Congress, providing specific details about which budgetary authorities he wants to rescind.

With Republicans holding a narrow 53-47 Senate majority, one of the most attractive aspects of rescission is that it doesn’t require 60 votes — a simple majority suffices to grant the president’s wish.


2 posted on 03/06/2025 6:33:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

just get it done! Republicans control Congress! No excuses! If Repubs don’t get it done then I am no longer a Republican!


3 posted on 03/06/2025 6:34:27 PM PST by imabadboy99
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To: SeekAndFind
TWEET FROM RAND PAUL:

I was a one-man @DOGE before @DOGE was a gleam in the eyes of amped-up tech executives, and new media barons got behind the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY happy they're here. I passed along 2,000 pages of waste to @ElonMusk and @VivekGRamaswamy in the interest of curbing government waste. Now, they don't have to work too hard to find what I've already found.

4 posted on 03/06/2025 6:35:26 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: imabadboy99

First time?


5 posted on 03/06/2025 6:37:52 PM PST by Antihero101607
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To: All

Let’s hope its true, though I have a hard time seeing that happen!


6 posted on 03/06/2025 6:53:55 PM PST by Reily (a)
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To: All

Let’s hope its true, though I have a hard time seeing that happen!


7 posted on 03/06/2025 6:53:59 PM PST by Reily (a)
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To: All

Let’s hope its true, though I have a hard time seeing that happen!


8 posted on 03/06/2025 6:55:57 PM PST by Reily (a)
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To: Reily

If they do it. The Demondogs will be massacred in 2026.


9 posted on 03/06/2025 7:04:51 PM PST by Fai Mao ( Democrats need to go to prison.)
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To: All

It won’t matter if they do it.

Doesn’t matter if it makes you feel good. It’s a paltry $500B.

That’s about 1/2 of the interest on the debt this year. So the $500B gets erased by interest and another $500B is added to the debt. And this is only going to reduce the deficit to about $1.3T, which will also be added to the debt, to generate more interest.

Complete delusion.


10 posted on 03/06/2025 7:29:24 PM PST by Owen
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To: Fai Mao

Agree!
But legislatures are not known for boldness even when it’s in their best interests!


11 posted on 03/06/2025 7:46:38 PM PST by Reily (a)
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To: Owen

Have you ever participated in a project that accomplished anything in the real world?

The way you do is you start working on it.

One step at a time.

No whining.

You just do it.

You gain momentum and then you do more.

Without whining.

Then you do more.

And then you do more.

No whining.

And then you do more.


12 posted on 03/06/2025 7:54:55 PM PST by cgbg (The Democrat Party is a criminal enterprise.)
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To: Owen

Have you ever participated in a project that accomplished anything in the real world?

The way you do is you start working on it.

One step at a time.

No whining.

You just do it.

You gain momentum and then you do more.

Without whining.

Then you do more.

And then you do more.

No whining.

And then you do more.


13 posted on 03/06/2025 7:55:26 PM PST by cgbg (The Democrat Party is a criminal enterprise.)
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To: SeekAndFind

It was their job in the first place. They just stopped doing it in favor of rubber stamping last minute omnibus bills that were never even read. When the speaker brags that we have to pass the bills to see what’s in them, she should have been locked up in a prison instead of running our national spending authorization.


14 posted on 03/06/2025 7:56:16 PM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) Be careful what you say. Your refrigerator may be listening & reporting you.)
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To: SeekAndFind

It was their job in the first place. They just stopped doing it in favor of rubber stamping last minute omnibus bills that were never even read. When the speaker brags that we have to pass the bills to see what’s in them, she should have been locked up in a prison instead of running our national spending authorization.


15 posted on 03/06/2025 7:56:18 PM PST by blackdog ((Z28.310) Be careful what you say. Your refrigerator may be listening & reporting you.)
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To: Reily

This process would also nullify all the liberal judges interference


16 posted on 03/06/2025 8:00:47 PM PST by Fai Mao ( Democrats need to go to prison.)
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To: cgbg

Mathematics does not care about inspirational speeches.


17 posted on 03/06/2025 8:04:21 PM PST by Owen
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To: SeekAndFind

God, I love this man.


18 posted on 03/06/2025 8:06:08 PM PST by McCarthysGhost
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To: Owen

I repeat my question.

Have you ever accomplished anything in your life?

Because it sounds like you don’t know how to do it.


19 posted on 03/06/2025 8:14:00 PM PST by cgbg (The Democrat Party is a criminal enterprise.)
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To: cgbg

Not quite sure you know what you’re asking.

Have I accomplished anything? Well, this past Sunday I drove to curbside pickup and Walmart and got groceries.


20 posted on 03/06/2025 8:18:29 PM PST by Owen
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