Sen. Susan Collins speaks at a 2023 press conference in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said she doesn’t support pushing through any of President-elect Donald Trump’s appointees without having full congressional hearings and background checks.

Trump has made it clear that he wants to use recess appointments to ensure his appointees are confirmed, and the incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has not ruled that out.

But Maine’s Republican senator said in a 15-minute interview with the Press Herald on Friday that all of Trump’s nominees should undergo a thorough – and expeditious – confirmation process.

“It is so important that we not shortchange the confirmation process for cabinet appointments in particular,” Collins said. “I do not agree with the president that we should forgo background checks and have recess appointments where we would not have hearings on these very important appointments.

“At the same time, President(-elect) Trump is right. He has the ability to nominate whomever he wishes, and the process should not be drawn out. It should be a fair, thorough and expeditious process, and that’s what I believe should occur.”

With the Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate, Collins is lined up to chair the Senate appropriations committee, where she could play a key role negotiating federal spending. She also said this week that she’s planning to run for reelection in two years. That means she is likely to be under the microscope, especially given her complicated relationship with Trump, who she voted to impeach after the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Some of Trump’s early picks have raised concerns.

Trump is recommending Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been investigated by the Department of Justice and House Republicans about inappropriate sexual encounters and illicit drug use, which he denies, as attorney general. Collins said she was “shocked” by that appointment.

He’s also tapping vaccine skeptic Robert F, Kennedy Jr., who has pushed a debunked claims that vaccines cause autism, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth, who is a veteran, as secretary of defense; and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat, as director of national intelligence.

Collins, who was among the Republicans to criticize Trump’s conviction on 34 felonies for allegedly paying hush money to an adult film star as politically motivated, said she is not familiar enough with many of Trump’s appointees to make a judgement, especially Hegseth, who has questioned women being allowed to have combat roles in the military and has advocated for soldiers accused of committing war crimes.

“How can you ask me to make a judgement on someone whom I don’t know?” she said. “That’s why the background check, the committee investigation and the public hearings are so important.”

Collins said she supports Trump’s decision to ask tech billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency. She expects the duo could apply private-sector principles to increase efficiency.

“I have not met with either of them at this point and hope to do so to get a better understanding of their plans,” said Collins, who committee could be ground zero for implementing cost-saving measures. “Having an outside group look at government programs may point to efficiencies and innovation that will provide better services to the people of this country and save money. I think that could well be useful.”

Collins said it’s too soon judge Trump’s other stated policy goals, including eliminating the U.S Department of Educations, and his vow to conduct mass deportations of an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

“The president-elect has not submitted a budget, so we don’t know what he’s going to recommend with regard to the Department of Education,” she said. “I guess I would take issue with the premise of your question that his policy moves are clear.”

When asked about mass deportations, Collins emphasized the need to secure the border through more physical barriers and enhanced technology to stop the flow illicit drugs, terrorists and criminals coming across the border.

Collins said she supports expanding legal immigration, including worker visa programs that fill important jobs in health care, hospitality and agriculture.

She has also advocated for changes to the asylum system to allow those withy credible claims to work within 30 days of filing their application, rather than waiting six months or more, and believes an accommodation should be made for so-called Dreamers, or people who were brought into the country illegally by their parents through no fault of their own.

It’s unclear how those positions will be tested by Trump’s mass deportation plan, or immigration crackdown.

“First of all, we don’t know what his plan is,” Collins said. “What I have heard President-elect Trump’s people say is they’re going to concentrate on people who are on the terrorist watch list, who are on the no fly list, who have committed crimes in this country or with criminal records in the countries from which they came. And that to me makes sense.”