Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Sen. Mike LeeR-Utah, predicted that House Speaker Mike Johnson would not retain the gavel next year and called for Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the leadership role.
“I don’t think the speaker will stay in power,” Lee predicted during an appearance Thursday night at “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
The senator went on to say that if he is right, the next speaker should be a “DOGE speaker,” a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the effort to advocate for reduced government spending.
“Vivek, Elon, if you’re watching, sign up, America needs you,” Lee said.
TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FAILS HOUSE VOTE
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
In a Thursday morning post on X, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had floated Musk’s idea for House speaker.
“Nothing would stir the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it… nothing is impossible. (not to mention the joy of seeing the collective establishment aka ‘uniparty’ lose his ever loving mind)” Paul posted Thursday morning.
This week, with the prospect of a potential partial government shutdown, conservatives blasted a 1,547-page government spending measure championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance also chimed in, saying in a statement: “Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to- it is with temporary financing. NO DEMOCRATIC DRAW bill combined with a debt ceiling increase.”
Before a vote Thursday, in which 38 House Republicans and most Democrats rejected a reworked proposal with a much lower page count, Trump criticized Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., claiming that the lawmaker was “getting in the way, as usual. , of having another big Republican victory, all for the sake of cheap publicity for himself.”
“Weak and ineffective people like Chip should be dismissed as completely ignorant of the ways of politics and Making America Great Again,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
TRUMP SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS LOOM SHUTS OFF
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Lee spoke highly of Roy after Trump trashed the Lone Star State lawmaker.
“There is no staunch defender of conservative politics, constitutionally limited government, or MAGA principles than @ChipRoyTX,” Lee declared in a post on X. “President Trump will have no harder-working, principled ally than @ ChipRoyTX,” he said. added “If there is a more devoted defender of the Constitution today, I have not met that person.”
Roy delivered a fiery speech before Thursday’s vote, criticizing the new version of the spending proposal and the Republicans who support it.
“Yes, I think this bill is better than yesterday in some respects,” Roy noted, adding that “congratulating yourself because it’s shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is absurd.”
Roy said he was “sick of a party that campaigns for fiscal responsibility and has the temerity” to suggest the proposal was “fiscally responsible. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said.
Sen. peaceR-Ky., reposted a clip of Roy’s speech and commented: “We are either fiscally conservative or not. An unlimited increase in the debt ceiling for 2 years is not fiscally conservative and should be rejected.”
MASSIE FIGHTS AGAINST JOHNSON HOLDING SPEAKER’S MATT: ‘DON’T HAVE MY VOTE’
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., speaks to the media after the House of Representatives failed to pass a government funding bill at the U.S. Capitol on December 19, 2024 in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In a post on X, Roy noted, “Currently, I am opposed to raising the debt ceiling without major spending cuts/reform.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who like Roy, voted against passing the spending proposal Thursday, suggested that instead of voting for a catchall measure, there should be multiple measures that receive individual votes
“This is not complicated. Separate the bills and vote on them individually. a vote on net CR a vote on the debt limit a vote on disaster relief a vote on farm bailouts Radical right? Individual bills for each topic,” he posted. .
Lee agreed with him.
“Separate the bills,” he wrote. “Vote them individually,” he added. “Revolutionary!”
