Washington: In the midst of the US shutdown crisis, Elon Musk emerged as a significant influencer, wielding considerable power alongside President-elect Donald Trump. The world’s richest person played a key role as the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives passed legislation on Friday that would avert a midnight government shutdown.
Next, the Democratic-controlled Senate would need to pass the bill to ensure the government will be funded beyond midnight, when current funding expires. The White House said President Joe Biden intends to sign it into law if they do.
A government shutdown would disrupt everything from law enforcement to national parks and suspend paychecks for millions of federal workers. A travel industry trade group warned that a shutdown could cost airlines, hotels and other companies $1 billion per week and lead to widespread disruptions during the busy Christmas season. Authorities warned travelers could face long lines at airports.
The package, which passed by a bipartisan vote of 366-34, resembled a bipartisan plan that was abandoned earlier this week after an online fusillade from Trump and Musk, who said it contained too many unrelated provisions, such as a pay raise for lawmakers and a crackdown on pharmacy benefit managers.
