Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) doesn’t seem to be pleased that Elon Musk’s auditing of federal agencies is threatening to bring the corrupt D.C. gravy train to a screeching halt.
While her Democrat colleagues have taken to the streets with their shrieking temper tantrums, Collins suggested to reporters that President Donald J. Trump has made a mistake by permitting the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to conduct the long overdue review of where all the money is going.
“There’s no doubt that the president appears to have empowered Elon Musk far beyond what I think is appropriate,” Collins said, according to Politico. “I think a lot of it is going to end up in court.”
Senate’s top appropriator says Elon Musk has gone too far https://t.co/RVgnwPfTcE
— POLITICO (@politico) February 5, 2025
“I am concerned if the Trump administration is clawing back money that has been specifically appropriated for a particular purpose,” she added.
Maine’s most famous resident not named Stephen King is always sought after when it comes to getting a member of the GOP Congress on record with quotes that are critical of Trump, and as usual, Collins didn’t disappoint.
Collins’ fellow RINO, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned whether Trump even has the ability to empower the Tesla/SpaceX CEO to circumvent Congress on funding.
“The president is suggesting that he has authorization. I think there is more than some question,” she said, according to The Hill. The stage could now be set for the “constitutional crisis” that the media will try to whip up once the Democrats’ lawfare machine drags the matter into the crooked D.C. courts.
The two senators may be cool on the stunning job that Musk is doing in draining the swamp but the top House Republican is all for it.
During a Wednesday press conference, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was asked by Fox News’ Chad Pergram if he’s concerned about Trump ceding constitutional powers to Musk, particularly regarding shuttering the Department of Education.
(Video Credit: Newsmax)
“Is there an inconsistency by Republicans on one hand, where we’ve heard for years now, ‘All we want [is] to not have unelected bureaucrats in charge of things downtown,’ and yet ceding Article I powers to the executive branch under Elon Musk?” Pergram asked. “Is there not an inconsistency about calling for the elimination of the Department of Education? And yet we’ve heard from some of your colleagues here this morning, ‘We don’t want women to be playing sports with men,’ and aren’t you ceding back that power, then, as it pertains to education if you eliminate the Department of Education?”
“No, look, I’ve gotta challenge the premise of the question, Chad. You know me. I’m a fierce advocate and defender of Article I. I mean, look, we are the legislative branch. There’s a reason the Founding Fathers put the Congress, the legislative branch, as the first article in the Constitution, and we’re gonna vigorously defend that,” Johnson responded.
“But what’s happening right now, I think there’s a gross overreaction in the media to what is happening,” he continued. “The executive branch of government in our system has the right to evaluate how executive branch agencies are operating and to ensure that not only the intent of Congress in funding mechanisms but also the stewardship of precious American taxpayer dollars is being handled well.”
“That’s what they’re doing by putting a pause on some of these agencies and by evaluating them, by doing these internal audits. That is a long overdue, much welcome development,” Johnson said. “That’s what the American people demand and deserve and that’s what’s happening. So we don’t see this as a threat to Article I at all. We see this as an active, engaged, committed Executive Branch authority doing what the Executive Branch should do.”
Collins had previously praised Musk but that was before he boldly walked into the temple and kicked over the tables of the moneychangers.
“I was very impressed with his energy and dedication,” she told reporters after a one-on-one meeting with the X owner last year following the election.
Always the fly in the ointment, the Maine lawmaker is a favorite of a crooked media that trashes any Republican who isn’t a critic of Trump and they relish in getting her on record for their stories that are spun to portray dissension in the GOP ranks.
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