Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has summoned six members of President Trump's Cabinet to testify before her committee next week. The hearings are part of an aggressive push to secure government funding before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
Cabinet Officials Called to Testify
Officials set to appear include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The hearings will take place before subcommittees on April 22.
'We will then go into markups in June, and I hope that bills will be brought to the floor in July,' Collins said. 'There are a lot of difficult choices to be made.'
Collins Seeks Bipartisan Cooperation
Collins is also working to persuade Democrats to engage in bipartisan appropriations talks, warning that reconciliation bills weaken their leverage. She emphasized her preference for traditional appropriations over multi-year reconciliation measures, which she views as a last resort.
Senate Republicans are reportedly coalescing around a 'skinny' reconciliation package to fund ICE and CBP for three years, while funding the rest of the Department of Homeland Security through a traditional appropriations bill. Collins urged Democrats to support the appropriations process to avoid further disruptions.
Political Stakes in Maine
Collins, the only Republican representing a Democratic-leaning state, is facing a tough reelection battle in November. Her potential Democratic opponent, Graham Platner, has vowed to seek a seat on the Appropriations Committee if elected. Platner recently acknowledged the stakes of Collins' potential defeat, warning that Maine would lose her seniority and influence in Congress.
As the fiscal year deadline looms, Collins remains optimistic about bipartisan cooperation, citing the successful passage of 11 out of 12 appropriations bills last year. However, the current standoff over DHS funding underscores the challenges ahead.