Just days away from a federal funding deadline, several individuals within Elon Musk’s orbit say that the leader of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) actually wants a government shutdown, as it will potentially make it easier for him to continue gutting federal agencies and firing workers en masse.
Four sources speaking to Wired with knowledge of Musk’s thinking said that he wants the current version of the continuing resolution — a bill to fund the government for the next six months — to fail by this Friday’s deadline, a position that runs counter to the Trump administration’s stated goal.
“A shutdown has been his preference,” one of those sources told the publication. “[But] I think he’s boxed in there by the president. I think it would be really hard for him to get around that.”
Another source suggested that the economic impact of DOGE’s actions didn’t matter to Musk, so long as it hurt the political adversaries of President Donald Trump.
“You know none of this is about saving money, right? It’s all about destroying a liberal power base,” that source said.
A shutdown could give Musk more leeway when it comes to firing workers, said Nick Bednar, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Law, in comments to Wired about the situation.
Bednar noted that, if a shutdown lasted more than a month, furloughed federal employees would become subject to what’s known as a reduction in force (RIF) action, which would allow terminations of some workers based on seniority or veteran status. But a shutdown could also lead to workers themselves deciding to opt out of staying within the federal workforce.
“I suspect the greatest impact of a long-term shutdown is that it will encourage federal employees to leave public service sooner rather than later,” Bednar told the publication. “Even though federal law permits back pay, federal employees still need to pay for rent, groceries, and other essentials. The Trump administration could use an extended furlough to squeeze employees from their positions.”
The GOP-led House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to fund the government for the next six months. The measure goes to the Senate for consideration, which must pass the bill or risk a government shutdown by Friday.
Democrats are currently split on how they intend to vote on the bill — on the one hand, a shutdown could be viewed as politically disadvantageous to them. On the other, the bill contains several spending cuts (including lessening federal support for Washington, D.C.’s budget by $1 billion), and would empower Trump and Musk to continue their DOGE project to slash federal agencies, eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs and cutting critical spending.
On Wednesday morning, momentum appeared to be heading toward most Democrats backing the bill, The Hill reported, with some in the party’s caucus recognizing that the bill is “horrible” but that a shutdown lasting several weeks would be painful for many Americans.
Republicans currently hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has indicated that he won’t vote to support the continuing resolution; if he holds true to that pledge, at least eight Democrats would be needed to pass the legislation to overcome a Senate filibuster.
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