Elon Musk says Trump’s “big and beautiful bill” is cursing disasters. This is the biggest problem with the bill.
President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending proposals branded the “big beautiful bill.” I attended an important session Promises a massive change in taxes in the Senate on Monday, Federal expenditureand future regulatory environment. But even when Trump supports legislation as a victory that defines legacy, a deep fracture within the Republican Party. The rise of opposition Take that path forward from business leaders like Elon Musk Stand.
The bill permanently extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and introduces new tax cuts, including zero tip taxes and overtime salaries, but injects billions into border security and military spending. However, the same law proposes sudden cuts in social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps. The net effect is Estimated $3.3 trillion Over the next decade, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
These tough trade-offs have sparked intense debate and dissent from within the GOP ranks.
“The fundamental problem faced by Republicans is supporting a level of tax revenue that is not sufficient to pay for government spending that most Republicans support,” said Doug Elmendorf, a public policy professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School. luck. “So you don’t only have a camp of people who really want to cut their spending to match the level of income they support, but there are also other Republicans who understand that they don’t want to give up on the key benefits and services that Americans have received.
Senators Tom Tillis (RN.C.) and Rand Paul (Rk.y.) are among the prominent Republicans who have expressed sharp criticism of the bill. Tillis, who recently announced he would not be seeking reelection, insisted on deep cuts in breaking Trump’s own promise to protect health insurance and destroying constituents. If the bill passes, Estimated According to the CBO, another 11.8 million Americans will be uninsured by 2034. Tillis condemned the bill during a controversial Senate vote on Sunday I’m saying “This bill will inevitably betray the promise Donald Trump made.”
Moderate GOP lawmakers, such as Senators Susan Collins (RM.E.) and David Baradao (RC.A.), have also warned of Medicaid cuts. According to Politicsthe rift over the bill’s Medicaid clause was still in conflict with several Republican lawmakers over the bill during the voting period for the amendment vote on Monday.
Meanwhile, fiscal Hawks like Paul are equally concerned about price tags, or how it affects debt caps. The Senate budget blueprint includes a provision that raises the debt cap by $5 trillion. “It’s an acknowledgement that they know they don’t control the deficit,” Paul said. I said Sunday’s Senate. “They know that the years that follow will add trillions more.”
Regarding tax clauses, the bill Trying to raise state and local tax (salt) deduction caps It will go back to $10,000 to $40,000 and then back to $10,000, which will fuel frustration among lawmakers in high-tax states, making it a potential issue.
Beyond Capitol Hill, Trump’s bill draws responsibilities from the influential corner of the business and culture world.
Elon Musk has been particularly vocal about the bill,Political suicide” For the Republican Party. Some polls It appears to reinforce this claim and show the bill’s unpopularity with Americans. Investigation by Washington Post It turns out that 42% of Americans oppose the bill, and only 23% support it.
Musk also argued that the law was “absolutely insane and destructive.” Tesla and SpaceX The CEO warned that regulatory changes to the bill and spending cuts could kill jobs in future-focused industries and curb innovation.
“The latest Senate bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immeasurable strategic harm to our country! It’s totally crazy and destructive,” writes the wealthiest man in the world. x. “We are seriously damaging future industries while providing handouts to past industries.”
The criticism of Musk focuses on the provisions of the bill that eliminates Biden-era tax credits for renewable energies such as solar, wind and battery production. Amendments to the Clean Energy Tax Credit are also a concern for Senlisa Markowski (R-AK).
According to Elmendorf, Tesla’s CEO’s opposition to the bill’s energy provisions touches on certain important weaknesses of the bill. In addition to being potentially harmful to businesses that invest in clean energy businesses, he said the provision would raise electricity prices for many Americans.
“It’s strange for a administration that has won a big election because it can think of it as being too high and raise the price of the fundamental need for electricity,” Elmendorf said.
Meanwhile, leaders in the artificial intelligence sector, including humanity CEO Dario Amodei, have denounced the provisions of the bill that will preempt state-level AI regulations for a decade. “Without a clear plan for the federal government’s response, a pause will give us the worst of both worlds. The state has no capacity to act, and there is no national policy as a backstop.” I wrote it OP-ED for New York Times.
There is also an AI moratorium It caused dissatisfaction From Republicans who argue that clauses infiltrate historical support for state rights.
Despite internal and external discrepancies, Senate majority leader John Tune is calling for a final decision on the bill before the July 4th holiday. If it passes the Senate, the law will return to the house that was passed narrowly last month for a final settlement.
“The President is very well aware that this bill needs to not only pass the Senate, but also return to the House, and we need the full weight of the Republican Congress to delay this bill. I said At the White House briefing on Monday.
For Trump, there is a high interest. With an eye to solidifying his policy legacy and revitalizing his foundations ahead of the midterm elections, he will be making a big bet as evidence that he can bring about massive reforms to “big, beautiful bills.”