Sen. Susan Collins said she planned to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers late Wednesday to discuss technology billionaire Elon Musk’s moves to dismantle a federal program that provides humanitarian assistance abroad.

“I think the president’s representatives, Elon Musk and his team, have clearly exceeded their authority under the law,” Collins, R-Maine, said during an interview with the Press Herald earlier Wednesday that also touched on the Trump administration’s effort to remove FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press, file

Musk and his advisory group, the Department of Government Efficiency, announced the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development over the weekend.

Collins said the decision to lock up the USAID building in Washington and terminate programs that were created and funded by Congress “is exceeding the president’s constitutional authority.” She expressed similar concerns about Musk gaining access to sensitive personal information about federal employees, despite not being vetted or confirmed by Congress.

It wasn’t immediately clear what other lawmakers joined what Collins described as a bipartisan meeting to be held late Wednesday or what response they may consider.

The meeting comes a day after all four members of Maine’s congressional delegation challenged Musk’s authority to eliminate agencies and cut federal spending and staff.

Also on Wednesday, Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, joined seven colleagues on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in sending a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles raising national security concerns about Musk and his team accessing classified information and sensitive personal information.

The senators demanded answers about how Musk and his team is being vetted, the systems and records they’re accessing, and how they’re protecting information from misuse or public disclosure. The letter requests responses to 22 specific questions by Feb. 14.

“We write to share our grave concern with the illegal actions currently being undertaken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which risk exposure of classified and other sensitive information that jeopardizes national security and violates Americans’ privacy,” the senators wrote.

“No information has been provided to Congress or the public as to who has been formally hired under DOGE, under what authority or regulations DOGE is operating, or how DOGE is vetting and monitoring its staff and representatives before providing them seemingly unfettered access to classified materials and Americans’ personal information.”

The situation points to a larger dispute over the president’s power to withhold funding for programs approved by Congress. It’s an issue that will be important to Collins in her new role as the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which could be capstone for Collins’ congressional career.

Trump and his choice for director of Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, hold the view that the president has the power to withhold money appropriated by Congress. That theory of presidential authority runs contrary to the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which was enacted in response to former President Richard Nixon’s perceived abuses of power.

The act requires the president to notify Congress when approved funding is withheld and then abide by the result of a congressional review.

Collins said the administration didn’t follow the law when it decided to shut down USAID and allow Musk and his team to access personal information of federal employees.

“The president does have authority under the law to make reorganizations of federal agencies and some of those reorganizations in order to make the agency operate more efficiently may involve reductions in staffing,” she said. “But what the president is doing with USAID exceeded that. We are having a bipartisan meeting this afternoon to discuss the president’s actions in that area.”

Elon Musk arrives at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP

At the same time, Collins suggested that former President Joe Biden also violated the law with his efforts to forgive student loan debts and by redirecting appropriated funding for the southern border wall to environmental initiatives.

As chair of the appropriations committee, Collins will be a central player in federal budget negotiations. But the president’s early moves — if left unchecked — threaten to undermine Congress’ power to control federal spending.

Collins said she plans to vote in favor of confirming Vought on Thursday, even though he has publicly stated that the president has wide authority over congressional spending.

She said she will support Vought because he is qualified and served in the same role during Trump’s first term.

After the OMB issued a memo last week freezing all federal grants and loans, a White House spokesperson referred reporters and others to contact Vought with questions about it. But Collins said Vought assured her that he played no role in issuing the memo. The administration later rescinded the memo amid fierce public outcry and pushback from lawmakers, including Collins.

“I do intend to support his nomination,” Collins said. “If there are impoundments, I believe it will end up in court, and my hope is the court will rule in favor of the 1974 impoundment and budget control act.”

Collins also criticized the administration’s efforts to develop a list of every FBI agent who investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 people — including 15 Mainers — who were convicted on criminal charges, including those who violently assaulted police officers, and has been trying to remove people who worked on the case.

Collins said she spoke with Kash Patel, who is Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, and he assured her that he had no advanced knowledge of the memo.

“(Patel) had no knowledge of that whatsoever,” she said. “I think that memo is totally inappropriate and unfair to our FBI agents who were following instructions and that it diverts them from cases they are working on now: fentanyl cases, transnational crime cases, murder cases, all sorts of cases.”