A former Democratic Rep. is blasting Republican lawmakers for being "governed by tweet" and said they are set to "overplay their hand" if they continue down this path.
Bakari Sellers was making reference to the increased chances of a government shutdown after billionaire Elon Musk began criticizing the Continuing Resolution (CR) seeking to avert such an outcome on Saturday.
The rampage led to increased opposition from Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, and now its future looks increasingly uncertain.
Speaking to CNN's John Berman, Sellers said that "at the end of the day, what people don't realize is that while these billionaires, Elon Musk and others who were who are unelected, who really have no statutory authority, who do nothing but tweet and make themselves, enrich themselves day by day, it's the troops, it's the TSA workers – it's those individuals who have real lives who are trying to put Christmas gifts under the tree, who are affected by their malfeasance."
In a separate post on his X account, he went on to say that even if Musk is indeed "overplaying his hand, he won't have to feel the repercussions." "Elected members of Congress will."
Is Musk overplaying his hand? He won’t have to feel the repercussions. Elected members of congress will https://t.co/IRXslHjs2Y
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) December 18, 2024
Musk in fact discussed accountability as a result of lawmakers' stance on the measure, but said that "any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in two years."
The scenario is now increasingly untenable for House Speaker Mike Johnson. The lawmaker has previously criticized omnibus bills and pledged to avoid such practices, denied the legislation falls into this category. He added it will put the party to "put our fingerprints on what those final spending bills are" next year. It is unclear whether he will stand by the bill now.
Musk has said a shutdown is preferable to the bill being passed, but should parties not reach an agreement before Friday midnight, millions of government workers could face delayed or missed paychecks, and many federally funded programs could see operations suspended.
While figures may vary slightly, the scenario is quite similar at the moment. The National Federation for Federal Employees estimated back then that approximately 2.1 million civilian workers and 4 million federal contract workers may had been affected by a lack of an agreement.
Originally published on Latin Times
