Johnson Downplays Musk's Influence     06/09 06:07

   The Republican House leader and staunch Trump ally said Musk's criticism of 
the GOP's massive tax and budget policy bill will not derail the measure, and 
he downplayed Musk's influence over the GOP-controlled Congress.

   (AP) -- With an uncharacteristically feistiness, Speaker Mike Johnson took 
clear sides Sunday in President Donald Trump's breakup with mega-billionaire 
Elon Musk.

   The Republican House leader and staunch Trump ally said Musk's criticism of 
the GOP's massive tax and budget policy bill will not derail the measure, and 
he downplayed Musk's influence over the GOP-controlled Congress.

   "I didn't go out to craft a piece of legislation to please the richest man 
in the world," Johnson said on ABC's "This Week." "What we're trying to do is 
help hardworking Americans who are trying to provide for their families and 
make ends meet," Johnson insisted.

   Johnson said he has exchanged text messages with Musk since the former chief 
of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency came out against the GOP bill.

   Musk called it an "abomination" that would add to U.S. debts and threaten 
economic stability. He urged voters to flood Capitol Hill with calls to vote 
against the measure, which is pending in the Senate after clearing the House. 
His criticism sparked an angry social media back-and-forth with Trump, who told 
reporters over the weekend that he has no desire to repair his relationship 
with Musk.

   The speaker was dismissive of Musk's threats to finance opponents -- even 
Democrats -- of Republican members who back Trump's bill.

   "We've got almost no calls to the offices, any Republican member of 
Congress," Johnson said. "And I think that indicates that people are taking a 
wait and see attitude. Some who may be convinced by some of his arguments, but 
the rest understand: this is a very exciting piece of legislation."

   Johnson argued that Musk still believes "that our policies are better for 
human flourishing. They're better for the US economy. They're better for 
everything that he's involved in with his innovation and job creation and 
entrepreneurship."

   The speaker and other Republicans, including Trump's White House budget 
chief, continued their push back Sunday against forecasts that their tax and 
budget plans will add to annual deficits and thus balloon a national debt 
already climbing toward $40 trillion.

   Johnson insisted that Musk has bad information, and the speaker disputed the 
forecasts of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that scores budget 
legislation. The bill would extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, cut spending and 
reduce some other levies but also leave some 10.9 million more people without 
health insurance and spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over the decade, according 
to the CBO's analysis.

   The speaker countered with arguments Republicans have made for decades: That 
lower taxes and spending cuts would spur economic growth that ensure deficits 
fall. Annual deficits and the overall debt actually climbed during the 
administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and during Trump's first 
presidency, even after sweeping tax cuts.

   Russell Vought, who leads the White House Office of Budget and Management, 
said on Fox News Sunday that CBO analysts base their models of "artificial 
baselines." Because the 2017 tax law set the lower rates to expire, CBO's cost 
estimates, Vought argued, presuming a return to the higher rates before that 
law went into effect.

   Vought acknowledged CBO's charge from Congress is to analyze legislation and 
current law as it is written. But he said the office could issue additional 
analyses, implying it would be friendlier to GOP goals. Asked whether the White 
House would ask for alternative estimates, Vought again put the burden on CBO, 
repeating that congressional rules allow the office to publish more analysis.

   Other Republicans, meanwhile, approached the Trump-Musk battle cautiously.

   "As a former professional fighter, I learned a long time ago, don't get 
between two fighters," said Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin on CNN's "State of 
the Union."

   He even compared the two billionaire businessmen to a married couple.

   "President Trump is a friend of mine but I don't need to get, I can have 
friends that have disagreements," Mullin said. "My wife and I dearly love each 
other and every now and then, well actually quite often, sometimes she 
disagrees with me, but that doesn't mean that we can't stay focused on what's 
best for our family. Right now, there may be a disagreement but we're laser 
focused on what is best for the American people."