Dallas US Rep. Jasmine Crockett blames Elon Musk for failed government spending bill, looming shutdown

DALLAS - Time is running out before the federal government runs out of money. 

Lawmakers had a budget plan in place with bipartisan support, but President-elect Donald Trump rejected it. A last-minute proposal from Republicans also failed, making a government shutdown imminent.

What Happened?

The speaker of the House withdrew a bipartisan spending bill on Wednesday after Mr. Trump issued a joint statement with Vice President-elect JD Vance.

They said Republicans should restart negotiations over the legislation, arguing that "anything else is a betrayal of our country." 

The massive 1,500-page bill would have funded the government through March 14, 2025. Without a new funding agreement, a shutdown will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Late Thursday afternoon, congressional Republicans announced a new proposal to fund the government and suspend the debt ceiling. It was Trump-approved.

The plan would keep the government running for three more months and allow more borrowing until 2027.

What North Texas Politicians Are Saying

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) is a staunch critic of both men. In a post on X, she claimed Elon Musk is controlling Republicans. 

"The fact is, we elect our leaders," the congresswoman told FOX 4. "And right now, you have someone who is the richest person in the world that is literally telling other folks, regular, everyday working folks or those people that are relying on the resources that the federal government provides as well, ‘Y'all can just wait 33 days. It's okay if you don't get checks over Christmas.’ But that is what we've got going on right now:

U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Irving) rebuffed Crockett’s claims.

"Do I think he (Musk) is more influential than he has been in the past? Yes. He's very vocal. He's very successful. Do I think he's the reason why the bill yesterday died? No, I don't," she said. "I think literally people were expecting a completely separate bill. And when they found out the length and all of the pork spending that was in it, I literally think that was dead on arrival."

Van Duyne told FOX 4 the continuing resolution was not a good deal. 

"There is a reason why President Trump and members in the House and in the Senate were reelected. They're looking at the economy. They're looking at our borders," the Irving congresswoman said. "I would say we need to have a bill that supports our national security, that supports our American interests but does not drive us into an early grave where our kids and our grandkids are strangled with this massive amount of debt.

"I don't get caught up in trying to figure out the minutia of who's getting what, if it was bipartisan," Crockett said. "Let me tell you, everybody was getting something."

Either way, both congresswomen say they still stay in D.C. until a deal is reached.

"I think we're going to be here," said Crockett. "I don't think that we're leaving."

"I will stay to get the job done," said Van Duyne. "We don't want to see a government shutdown. Nobody wants to see that. But I could. There's no possible way that I could have supported that massive spending bill."

What’s Next?

House Republicans struck a new deal on a plan for averting a government shutdown by Friday's deadline. But a vote on the floor failed to move it to the Senate on Thursday. 

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), led the opposition to the initial bill and also blasted the new deal.

"More debt. More government. Increasing the Credit Card $4 trillion with ZERO spending restraint and cuts. HARD NO," Roy wrote on X.

The government shuts down at midnight on Friday. 

A shutdown would put many federal workers on furlough. It would also impact things like infrastructure projects.