Rep. Chu Opposes Republicans' Slush Fund for Musk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) voted against House Republicans’ full-year appropriations bill, which passed on a 217-213 vote.

“On the day our president purchases a car from Elon Musk on the White House grounds, Republicans have passed a funding bill with massive cuts for families that is completely subservient to the whims and whimsy of the unelected billionaire – providing him a slush fund of our tax dollars to direct as he wants, including to his own companies. Republicans in Washington are falling over themselves to deliver tax cuts for Musk and billionaires, rather than focus on cost-of-living issues facing Americans,” said Rep. Chu. “In typical spending bills, Congress includes directives and instructions to ensure taxpayer dollars are distributed as our branch of government intended. Without any directives in this continuing resolution or any constraints on Musk and DOGE’s illegal cuts, Republicans have given the Trump administration the green light to continue taking a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration, Department of Education, National Nuclear Security Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, IRS and so many other essential programs. The bill also cuts Veterans’ health care benefits Republicans have previously supported, evicts low-income renters – including survivors of domestic abuse and Veterans – from their homes, and fails to fund disaster relief programs districts around the country like mine need.” 

“And this Republican shutdown bill strips out all Community Project Funding for Fiscal Year 2025, including 15 important projects that I selected in my district. As a result, law enforcement agencies and first responders are losing out on new equipment and infrastructure, San Gabriel Valley cities are losing out on new affordable housing, and residents are losing out on new community centers and safer streets,” Rep. Chu continued. “I am strongly opposed, and urge my Senate colleagues to be as well. Democrats are ready to pass a short-term stopgap funding bill to provide more time to negotiate a bipartisan solution that will ensure that the programs that our constituents receive the funding that Congress provides, without being illegally intercepted by Musk and DOGE.”

Among other provisions, this funding bill:

• Fails to lower the cost of housing and instead cuts rent subsidies for low-income and working Americans by more than $700 million, leaving landlords to foot the bill for or evict more than 32,000 households including Veterans, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and families with disabilities.
• Would allow Elon Musk and President Trump to continue their plans to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration and close down SSA field and hearing offices around the country, which will result in increased wait times and unacceptable backlogs for Americans trying to access their earned benefits.
• Fails to fund the Disaster Relief Fund through the remainder of the fiscal year, which means uncertainty for victims of the Eaton Fire and potential victims of the approaching tornado and hurricane seasons.
• Enables Elon Musk to direct contracts to his companies while his unvetted employees have burrowed in the FAA, with no requirement for public transparency, fair competition, or Congressional approval – all while mission-critical jobs have been cut at the FAA.
• Cuts Army Corps of Engineers construction projects that keep commerce safely flowing on our waterways, manage flood risk, and restore ecosystems by $1.4 billion, or 44 percent, and Elon Musk and President Trump, not Congress, will determine all project funding levels.
• Reneges on Veterans’ medical care and creates future uncertainty. More Veterans are enrolled in VA care than ever. While the bill includes $6 billion in mandatory funds to address an immediate funding shortfall, it fails to include $22.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 advanced funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to care for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances that House Republicans included in their own funding bill last year. It also enables Elon Musk and President Trump to redirect funding meant for homelessness assistance grants, mental health care, rural health, opioid and substance abuse programs, some oncology programs, and caregivers support, however they see fit.
• Gives Elon Musk and President Trump broad discretion to eliminate individual programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a critical agency that our communities rely on for reliable information and forecasts related to weather patterns, climate change, ocean conditions, and natural disaster preparedness.