Petition: Elon Musk nearly forced a shutdown

Tell Congress: Our democracy is not for sale. Stop catering to the whims of one unelected billionaire >> Pamela, if this past week is any indication of how the next four years will go, our country's in trouble. Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire who seems to be calling the shots in Trump's Washington, saw some misinformation online about the bipartisan deal to keep our government open. So, with a barrage of tweets, he blew the deal up.   One billionaire got to buy unlimited influence over our elected representatives and nearly forced a disastrous government shutdown – with delayed air travel and healthcare services, weakened environmental protections, and furloughed federal employees – right before the holidays. No deal is perfect, but the one reached earlier this week had broad support and would have funded the American people's priorities. Musk killed several popular, bipartisan provisions from the final bill – successfully forcing Congress to bend to his whims. This is no way to run our country, Pamela. Will you join me in calling on our elected officials to REJECT governance by chaos, and demand that the people's needs, not one unelected billionaire's whims, rule the day? SIGN THE PETITION For more information on how President-elect Trump, Elon Musk, and their cronies got us into this mess, you can read my message below from earlier this week. Original message sent 12/19/2024: Tell Congress: Don't let Trump and unelected billionaires shut down the government >> Pamela, we're less than two days from a government shutdown. But instead of working to keep our government running, President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy just killed a bipartisan plan to keep the government funded and are now exploiting this can't-miss deadline to force through massive spending cuts. [1] That's right: the President-elect and these unelected billionaires pressured our elected representatives in Congress to abandon this commonsense government funding plan – sending us into chaos just days before Friday's deadline to keep the government running. Missing this deadline means a disastrous government shutdown – with delayed air travel and healthcare, threats to our environment and safety, and furloughs for millions of federal workers without pay. [2] We simply cannot allow this to happen, especially during the holiday season. We must act NOW. Join me to tell Congress to keep our government funded – and REJECT Trump and Musk's attempts to hold our government hostage >> SIGN THE PETITION Pamela, this is a huge mess – and it was entirely avoidable.   Congress already reached a bipartisan agreement earlier this week to keep the government funded until next March and provide funding for critical disaster aid programs. [1]   But then Elon Musk went on a tirade against it – launching over 100 tweets opposing the funding plan and spreading misleading and false claims about it. [3]   Vivek Ramaswamy, who co-leads the proposed "Department of Government Efficiency" with Musk, joined in to voice his opposition, and the two of them had a private conversation with Speaker Mike Johnson to help kill the funding agreement. [4] It's a disturbing preview of the incoming Trump administration – one where unelected billionaires can buy access to the most powerful levels of government, undermine our checks and balances, and call the shots on crucial government spending decisions. The Constitution is clear: Congress sets the budget – not the president, and certainly not private citizens like Musk or Ramaswamy. It's time for Congress to assert its constitutional authority, side with We The People over power hungry billionaires, and reject this attempt to hold government funding hostage. Pamela, can we count on you to join us in urging Congress to do its job, assert its constitutional authority over the budget, and stop this dangerous attempt to shut down our government? Thanks for all you do, Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs and the team at Common Cause [1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-house-vote-continuing-resolution/ [2] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-immediate-shutdown-effects/ [3] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/18/elon-musk-false-claims-cr-00195252 [4] https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/elon-musk-mike-johnson-fox-news-government-shutdown-rcna184731 Common Cause is a leader in fights that matter at the local, state, and national level. Your support helps us fight special interests, hold elected officials accountable, and build a better democracy for all Americans. DONATE Interested in volunteering with our Action Team? Sign up here. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 202.833.1200 https://commoncause.org Common Cause's work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you. You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.

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