The Senate’s top appropriator, and a notable critic of the scope and speed of cuts to the federal government rolled out by the Trump administration, has been texting with Elon Musk.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said in a brief interview Tuesday she has “exchanged text messages” with the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
It’s a notable development 10 days before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown and months after the Maine Republican’s first and only meeting with the tech billionaire, where she said she was “very impressed with his energy and dedication.”
Collins added that despite the text exchanges, “I don’t have a meeting scheduled” with Musk. She also didn’t elaborate on what the two have been texting about, but there is plenty for the pair to discuss.
Collins has been fiercely protective of Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and has warned against the administration’s attempts to withhold federal dollars already appropriated by Congress. Last month, Collins was one of the first Republicans to raise concerns about Musk’s role in the new Trump White House.
“There’s no doubt that the president appears to have empowered Elon Musk far beyond what I think is appropriate,” she told reporters earlier this year. “I think a lot of it is going to end up in court.”
Musk is scheduled to meet with House Republicans on Wednesday evening after Collins is set to be the guest speaker at the conservative Republican Study Committee’s weekly meeting. But more senators are looking to connect with Musk, as well.
Republicans largely back Musk’s efforts even as firings and funding cuts are surprising them and constituents back in their states almost daily.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the chair of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, said earlier Tuesday that he is still working to schedule a meeting between Musk and lawmakers on his side of the aisle.
Last week, the Senate’s DOGE Caucus met with Musk and pushed him to step up coordination with Congress as he pursues cuts to the federal government. They also raised the issue that senators would like to have points of contact within DOGE to address concerns from constituents. But Collins, who is not a member of the DOGE Caucus, was not at the meeting.
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
