U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said she had an “excellent meeting” Thursday with Elon Musk but did not get into specifics over his plans to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” under President-elect Donald Trump that may seek massive federal spending cuts.
Trump tapped Musk, the world’s richest man whose portfolio of companies include Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X formerly known as Twitter, and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead “DOGE,” a reference to an online meme, as part of Trump’s vow to “squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy.”
“I had an excellent meeting with Elon Musk that lasted more than an hour to discuss more efficient and effective government operations to better serve Americans and to save taxpayers money,” Collins said Thursday in a statement.
Collins, who is set to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee after Republicans won control of both chambers and the White House in last month’s election, also told reporters she and Musk “did not go through any kind of list of cuts or anything like that.”
Musk and Ramaswamy have used a Wall Street Journal op-ed along with other platforms and speeches to describe their plans ranging from cutting more than $500 billion worth of federal programs with lapsed authorization to reducing the federal workforce by 75 percent and eliminating agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Those cuts could affect, for example, NASA’s multi-billion dollar space exploration budget, and the pair have also mentioned cutting $286 million in family-planning services and education grants to organizations such as Planned Parenthood, which conservatives have long targeted due to its status as an abortion provider.
Collins’ office did not answer additional questions Thursday about how she views the creation of DOGE and whether she would support cuts to defense programs, Planned Parenthood and other areas Musk and Ramaswamy have identified.
Ramaswamy has said DOGE will finish its work by July 4, 2026. Past efforts to tackle government spending occurred under Republicans and Democrats alike, including former President Ronald Reagan and former President Bill Clinton.
Trump’s effort with DOGE could run into pushback from federal employee unions and lawmakers given it may involve refusing to spend money allocated by Congress, a process known as impounding. That plan goes against a 1974 law intended to prevent future presidents from copying the behavior of Nixon, who held back funding that he did not like.
Collins was not listed among the group of members who initially joined a “Senate DOGE Caucus.” GOP legislators and at least one Democrat, Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, have signaled support for working with Musk and Ramaswamy on their plans.
U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, has not yet received an invitation to meet with Musk, spokesperson Matthew Felling said.
Felling said in an email Thursday that King’s “door is open to any visitors serious about finding practical approaches and efficiencies within the government budget — as long as they don’t harm Maine people or services.”
