Collins, on Trump transition team, supports ‘small government’
Photo from Chris Collins’ Facebook page: Chris Collins posted this photo of himself with Donald Trump on Nov. 8, Election Day, urging people to get out and vote.
Chris Collins, the first Congressman to endorse Donald Trump back on Feb. 24, is one of 16 people on Trump’s transition executive council.
That group needs to vet candidates to fill about 4,000 federal jobs. Collins said the work begins on Monday.
He spoke with Chuck Todd of MSNBC on Friday.
“The vision starts with the president, President-elect Trump,” Collins told Todd. “As we get into the cabinet officials, he’s going to have to bring in people who believe in smaller government, who believe in less regulations, that’s a mantra that we have.”
Todd asked Collins about “Draining the Swamp,” how the Trump Administration may need people who are insiders with a knowledge of how Washington D.C. works. The Trump transition team includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and others with a long history in Washington.
“You’re going to need people with institutional knowledge, there’s no question,” Collins said in the interview. “And at some point we have to make sure that those bringing in the institutional knowledge that have served in various roles also understand the ideas of fiscal responsibility and less regulations.”
Collins said when he was Erie County executive, he set the tone in the county government, with a push to reduce taxes and increase efficiencies.
“I drove the vision of smaller government and fiscal responsibility as Erie County executive,” Collins said.
The Trump transition team will be led by Mike Pence, the incoming vice president. Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor, will serve as vice chairman.
“It starts with vision of smaller government, less regulation and getting back to the federal government doing what it should and relying on the states, the 10th Amendment, to do the rest,” Collins told Todd of MSNBC.
