Mike Johnson tells DOGE co-heads he is ‘clearing the decks’ with spending bill

Published December 18, 2024 12:05pm ET



House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stressed that his current spending bill is “clearing the decks” for President-elect Donald Trump and his America First agenda, acknowledging he is not a fan of the bill himself.

Johnson detailed a text conversation he had with billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the two co-heads of the Department of Government Efficiency, which he discussed after being asked about Musk’s assessment of his spending bill and how it “should not pass.” The House speaker added that he spoke with Ramaswamy well into the night about the “impossible” situation he is currently facing, as Republicans still only have a “razor-thin” majority in the House.

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