Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur, criticized the stopgap spending agreement, calling on congressional members to reject the substantial bill if they are truly committed to improving government efficiency. In his remarks, Ramaswamy labeled the temporary measure as “full of excessive spending, special interest giveaways, and pork barrel politics,” expressing disapproval of Congress’s rush to vote so close to the holiday season.
He contended that “the legislation will end up hurting many of the people it purports to help. Debt-fueled spending sprees may ‘feel good’ today, but it’s like showering cocaine on an addict: it’s not compassion, it’s cruelty,” he stated on the social platform X.
Ramaswamy claims lawmakers are avoiding real debate with rushed legislation
As co-leader of President-elect Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), Ramaswamy is part of a panel focused on suggesting cuts to government spending and bureaucracy. In a detailed post on X, he argued that keeping the government open until March 14—the new deadline under the stopgap measure—would alone incur a cost of $380 billion.
Elon Musk, DOGE’s other co-leader, also voiced his opposition to the bill, declaring that it “should not pass” and referring to it as a “piece of pork.” Ramaswamy and Musk’s opposition follows their conversations with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has faced strong criticism from certain GOP members.
Critics within the Republican Party claim that the bill resembles a large omnibus rather than a temporary funding solution. Johnson recounted that Ramaswamy and Musk had shared their concerns through a text exchange, stating, “And Vivek and I talked last night, about almost midnight, and he said, ‘Look, I get it.’ He said, ‘We understand you’re in an impossible position. Everybody knows that.’”
He also noted, “Remember, guys, we still have just a razor-thin margin of Republicans. So any bill has to have Democratic votes. They understand the situation. He said, ‘It’s not directed to you, Mr. Speaker, but we don’t like the spending.’ I said, ‘Guess what, fellas, I don’t either.’”
With the stopgap measure’s text released just days before the December 20 shutdown deadline, its goal is to extend that deadline, allowing the next Congress and incoming president additional time to determine funding for the majority of the upcoming year.
Ramaswamy asserted that the timing of the bill was “manufactured and designed to avoid serious public debate,” emphasizing that lawmakers have been aware of the deadline since late September.
The legislation includes various add-ons, such as disaster assistance for hurricane damage and farmers, healthcare reforms in the pharmacy benefit manager industry, an extension of the farm bill, and provisions facilitating the potential relocation of the Washington Commanders’ stadium to D.C.
Ramaswamy warns of the true costs hidden in the stopgap spending agreement
He noted, “The true cost of this omnibus CR is far greater due to new spending. Renewing the Farm Bill for an extra year: ~$130 billion. Disaster relief: $100 billion. Stimulus for farmers: $10 billion. The Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement: $8 billion,” adding that the proposal introduces at least 65 cents of new spending for every dollar of existing discretionary spending.
Ramaswamy warned, “Farmers will see more land sold to foreign buyers when taxes inevitably rise to meet our obligations. Our children will be saddled with crippling debt. Interest payments will be the largest item in our national budget.”
Having previously launched an unsuccessful presidential campaign, he argued that the lengthy bill, which exceeds 1,500 pages, could have easily been condensed to under 20 pages. He criticized the bill, stating, “Instead, there are dozens of unrelated policy items crammed into the 1,547 pages of this bill. There’s no legitimate reason for them to be voted on as a package deal by a lame-duck Congress.”
Earlier this month, Ramaswamy and Musk visited Capitol Hill, where they met with several lawmakers to discuss DOGE’s objectives. They received generally positive feedback, particularly from those on the right. “Nearly everyone agrees we need a smaller & more streamlined federal government, but actions speak louder than words. This is an early test. The bill should fail,” he concluded in his post.
Several GOP House members criticized the stopgap bill on Tuesday, claiming it undermines DOGE’s objectives. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) stated, “It’s the opposite of what the DOGE commission is trying to do. So, am I voting for it? No, I’m not.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) expressed his disappointment, saying, “I think that it’s shameful that people that celebrate DOGE coming in, I can’t, and yet we’re going to vote for another billion dollars to be added to the deficit, and so it’s ironic. Personally, I’m disappointed.”
