Washington: Elon Musk’s growing influence in the US administration has alarmed many within and outside the government. So much so that Donald Trump had to reassure in the White House the Cabinet will have the final say on any decision, not Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
But there is no end to Musk’s ideas and suggestions.
He has now expressed a wish for a government shutdown, multiple sources familiar with the tech billionaire’s stance told WIRED.
Interestingly, Trump is against a government shutdown and has been trying to bring House Republicans together to avert it.
Musk’s logic is that it will make the job of firing thousands of federal employees simpler, effectively resulting in a permanent shutdown, WIRED reported.
Though Musk prefers a shutdown, he is unlikely to have his way.
“I think he’s boxed in there by the president. I think it would be really hard for him to get around that,” a Republican was quoted as saying.
The House approved a short-term spending bill with a vote of 217 to 213, which allows funding the US government through the end of September, in anticipation of a possible government shutdown.
The bill needs the support of at least eight Democrats to be forwarded to President Trump.
What happens in case of govt shutdown?
With Musk’s DOGE laying off tens of thousands of workers, several federal departments and programmes will be put on hold in case of a government shutdown.
Social Security cheques won’t be directly impacted, and FBI and other agencies with law enforcement and security functions will continue to operate normally. However, some government employees won’t be paid until the shutdown gets over.
