WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) released the following statement after voting against confirming Rick Perry to be Secretary of Energy:
“With the nomination of Rick Perry to lead a Department he once advocated to abolish, President Trump has yet again prioritized the profits of Big Oil over the health and safety of our families and our environment. I fear Rick Perry is such a supporter of Big Oil, that the Department of Energy’s vital role in supporting renewable energy will be eviscerated and our country’s progress in moving towards a clean energy future will stall. That is why I voted against his confirmation.
“Rick Perry has long supported ramping up our fossil fuel production instead of continuing and accelerating our transition to the clean energy economy of the future. He has questioned the science behind man-made climate change, and opposed federal
tax credits for solar and wind energy. Even more troubling, he has advocated eliminating the very agency he has been asked to run, though he could not even remember its name at the time. Given the importance of the Department of Energy not only to our nation’s energy policy, but also to our nuclear arsenal, it concerns me that he could be so ill-informed about its mission.
“I have worked continuously in the Senate to promote renewable energy and prioritize public health and environmental protection over the profits of Big Oil. I intend to continue pursuing those efforts, and hope to find areas Secretary Perry and I can work on together.”
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