Steve Scalise says Elon Musk’s criticism of Trump’s budget bill is “off-base” as House eyes Wednesday vote.

House GOP Leader Rejects Musk’s Attacks as Bill Nears Final Hurdles

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, has publicly dismissed Elon Musk’s ongoing criticism of President Donald Trump’s sweeping “big, beautiful bill,” stating that the tech billionaire’s attacks have “no basis.” As the comprehensive budget package advances through Congress, Scalise emphasized its positive economic impact and urged lawmakers to focus on getting the legislation to the president’s desk by July 4.

“His criticism has been consistently off-base,” Scalise said in a statement Monday, referencing Musk’s renewed public opposition to the bill as it moved through the Senate. “This is a bill that will create millions of jobs. And you go back and look at what happened in 2017 when we lowered rates and created a good atmosphere to create jobs—then we saw millions of jobs get created. And we're at the point again today where the economy is waiting for this bill.”

The legislation, spanning 940 pages, forms the core of Trump’s second-term agenda, including reforms on taxes, border security, defense, energy, and the national debt. The bill has drawn fresh criticism from Musk, who posted on X that “insane spending” and a $5 trillion debt ceiling hike prove the U.S. is a “one-party country,” and called for a new political party. Despite Musk’s high-profile opposition, Scalise said the House GOP remains focused on enacting the legislation quickly to spur economic growth.

House Moves Toward Vote Amid Internal GOP Debate

The Senate is expected to pass the bill as early as Wednesday, at which point it will return to the House for final action. An earlier version of the bill narrowly passed the House in late May, but both chambers must now reconcile their differences to meet the July 4 deadline for President Trump’s signature. According to two sources, House GOP leaders are planning for a 12 p.m. Rules Committee meeting to advance the bill, setting up potential floor votes on Wednesday morning and final passage by evening or Thursday.

Scalise acknowledged ongoing discussions within the Republican caucus as lawmakers react to the Senate’s modifications. Moderates are wary of provisions that would increase Medicaid costs for states that expanded coverage under ObamaCare, while conservatives argue that the spending cuts do not go far enough to balance other expenditures. “We’re having a lot of conversations with our members, and we are following what changes are being made to the bill because some could help fix some of those issues,” Scalise explained.

Despite these challenges, Scalise insisted that “failure’s not an option,” referencing past legislative battles where the bill’s survival seemed uncertain. “We always stayed focused on getting it done. And that's where all the focus needs to be right now.”

The “big, beautiful bill” stands as a central pillar of Trump’s legislative agenda, designed to enact long-term changes to federal tax law, boost funding for border security and national defense, overhaul energy policy, and address the growing national debt. As procedural steps unfold this week, House Republicans are racing to deliver a major policy win to President Trump in time for Independence Day.