Associated Press
President-elect Donald Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims.
The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used his outsize influence on the platform to help sway Congress, he did so without regard for the facts and gave a preview of the role he could play in government over the next four years.
Musk’s objections to the 1,547-page omnibus bill included misinformation about congressional salaries, federal funding and public health preparedness, among other topics.
He alleged that the plan included a 40% raise for lawmakers. But the maximum pay increase possible through the proposal would have been 3.8%, according to the Congressional Research Service.
One way that members of Congress can receive a pay raise is through automatic adjustments that go into effect unless denied by law. Most members make $174,000 per a year after their last increase of 2.8% in 2009. Congressional leadership is the exception, with the Speaker of the House earning the most at $223,500 annually.
The rejected bill struck a section from a previous appropriations act that denied members of Congress this automatic pay raise. A maximum increase of 3.8% would have bumped their annual salary by about $6,600, to approximately $180,000 annually.
Musk also shared a post from another user that falsely claimed the bill provided $3 billion in funding for a potential new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, commenting: “This should not be funded by your tax dollars!”
The bill included a provision to transfer control of the land that houses RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia. That transfer is necessary to pave the way for the Commanders to possibly build a new stadium in the franchise’s old home — though the team is still considering other locations.
However, no such funding is provided by the bill. It states, in fact, that the federal government “shall not be responsible for payment or any costs or expenses” that the District of Columbia incurs after the transfer is complete aside from responsibilities related to specific environmental issues.
In a third post, Musk incorrectly claimed that “We’re funding bioweapon labs in this bill!”
The plan provided funds for up to 12 regional biocontainment research laboratories, not facilities for creating bioweapons. It stipulates that among their uses, the labs will conduct biomedical research to prepare for biological agents such as emerging infectious diseases.
A spokesperson for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
12 comments
Michael
December 21, 2024 at 11:21 am
Not much of a story….anyone who wants to belong to Trump’s leadership camp has to have an ability to say whatever suits the agenda of the moment. After all, it has been demonstrated that lies mean nothing to 49.8% of the voters.
Florida is Red
December 21, 2024 at 11:42 am
Of course Democrats never stretch the truth or tell outright lies. Now if you believe that, then you believe that Joe Biden is mentally sharp and the mainstream media is completely unbiased.
Silly Wabbit
December 21, 2024 at 11:48 am
You ass.
Florida is Red
December 21, 2024 at 11:59 am
Ha! Ha! Truth hurts 🤣
S. Wabbit
December 21, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Ass whole.
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TruthBTold
December 21, 2024 at 1:27 pm
100%. I’ll add, if the DC crowd released this 72 hours prior to vote, rather than 5 hours, the ability to be accurate would have existed. Not that the AP is accurate in its reporting either. This article has several inaccuracies, mainly due to slanted reporting, of its own.
TruthMyRosyRed
December 21, 2024 at 1:47 pm
Talk about slant. If this article has “several inaccuracies,” you owe it to your readers to pinpoint them and prove the inaccuracy of each. What you really see in this article are a few facts that don’t sit well with your mindset, such as each lie Musk told to get his way, and therefore you deem them inaccurate. Stick to Fox News and similar outlets and your brain will sleep better.
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ScienceBLVR
December 21, 2024 at 12:12 pm
President-Not Elect Musk,
Still just a member of the billionaire boys club like your “Mines bigger than yours” missile boosting buddies.
Just remember what Sly says….
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same, whatever we do
You love me, you hate me, you know me and then
You can’t figure out the bag I’m in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
PeterH
December 21, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Distortions and outright lies is the Trump template for the next four years. His motto is:
“If I repeatedly lie, and tell the same lie over and over again….. my low information MAGA followers will believe the lie and repeat my lie on social media!”
Comments are closed.