Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he was against President Joe Biden’s spending bill, pointing to the “insane” federal deficit, per CNBC.
“Honestly, I would just can this whole bill,” he said during a remote appearance at a Wall Street Journal conference. “Don’t pass it. That’s my recommendation.”
The “Build Back Better” Act, which passed in the House and is now in the Senate, includes a tax incentive of $12,500 for vehicles built by auto union members, and a $7,500 federal credit for Tesla which was discontinued two years ago. Musk says they are doing fine without it.
The bill also includes $7.5 billion to build electric vehicle charging stations nationwide.
“Do we need support for gas stations? We don’t,” Musk said. “So there’s no need for support for a charging network. I would delete it. I’m literally saying get rid of all subsidies, but also for oil and gas.”
According to Electrek, Musk’s main concern is the federal deficit. “If it was a company, it would be a $3 trillion-dollar loss. I don’t know we should be adding to that loss.”
He did acknowledge that investing in airports, highways freeways and tunnels is a good idea.
“The role of government should be that of like a referee, but not a player on the field,” Musk said. It should “get out of the way and not impede progress.”