Johnson weighs spending plan B as Elon Musk stokes opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership team is quietly discussing a plan B to fund the government amid conservative opposition and vocal criticism from incoming President Donald Trump’s top ally Elon Musk.

The Louisiana Republican is discussing dropping $100 billion in disaster aid plus other attachments and instead passing a “clean CR” — then dealing with the other issues in the new year, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the conversations. That would mean dropping disaster aid, $30 billion for farmers, and a one-year extension of the farm bill, among other items, at least for now.

Conservatives, many of whom typically don’t support stopgap funding plans on principle, have publicly bashed leaders’ spending plan. They won a powerful ally in Musk, who has been charged with cutting government spending and who Johnson recently brought to Capitol Hill to rally Republicans.

Musk’s opposition has exacerbated GOP leaders’ ability to whip Republican votes, frustrating senior Republicans who privately feel he has no business sinking legislation that requires buy-in from the Democratic Senate.