Elon Musk confronts the question everyone is afraid to ask about government spending

Elon Musk is to the federal government what RFK Jr. will be to Americans’ waistlines. He hasn’t assumed power yet, but the SpaceX founder is already tossing Red 5 and seed oils from government funding bills like his rockets dropping their boosters. With just one post on X, the incoming head of “DOGE” can make the nation’s most addicted spenders cut 1,500 pages of fat to less than 150. Musk’s tweets are to Congress what they once were (and probably still are) to the stock market — incendiary.

Canning Speaker Mike Johnson’s initial proposed continuing resolution proved that Musk means business. For decades, “fiscal conservatives” and “deficit hawks” have flapped their lips about slashing spending, only to turn around and throw more money into the fire. By the sheer weight of his influence, Musk did what few people in Washington thought possible: reduce spending.

Now, the question is, can he finish the job?

Or, more specifically, will the people’s resolve last?

It’s easier to talk about ideals than make sacrifices. It’s easier to dream of a balanced budget and debt freedom than to announce, as a politician, that you are suddenly making massive cuts to a fund your constituents have grown dependent on.

How many New Year’s resolutions will fail for the same reason? No one in their right mind would say no to a healthier body or a better financial situation — no one, that is, until they realize they must give up fast food.

Spending is a tool — a surefire way for politicians to buy off a few voters or powerful corporations. Sure, they might pay lip service to fiscal responsibility, but when voters ask for free college or a check to their local theater house, why not oblige? For the small price of someone else’s money, you can buy yourself a seat in Congress for decades.

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Pundits tend to spotlight the most extreme examples of government spending. However, projections for FY2025 show that 20% will go to Social Security, 16% to Medicare, and 13% to Health. That’s nearly half of all government spending in three popular, well-nigh-untouchable categories. Anyone tampering with Social Security and Medicare might as well ask their opponent to run campaign ads accusing them of robbing Grandma at gunpoint. Only Kristi Noem would ever dream of boasting about that!

But therein lies the paradox at the heart of fiscal conservatism: everyone wants to save America from its crushing federal debt, but no one wants to take the fall for making uncomfortable cuts. Perhaps Elon Musk can finally break that mold.  

Mr. Musk has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to thwart the government spending machine  — especially if he comes alongside the nation’s leading Article V group, Convention of States. However, the American people must realize that preserving financial freedom for future generations will come at a cost. Even as we speed towards financial insolvency, we must ask ourselves, are we willing to make sacrifices to save our kids’ America?

Weaning a spending-addicted nation off its bad money habits would never be easy. For far too long, Washington has disregarded the future consequences of our present bad decisions. We must change that. With an Article V convention, we can take a surgical knife to government excess and corruption. Join the growing movement today when you sign the Convention of States petition below!