Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Energy Department, will face questions from a Senate committee Thursday over his plans for a department that controls the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and regulates oil and gas drilling.
Perry, who served more than 14 years as governor of Texas, is an unyielding backer of opening up more land for drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. He also supports doing away with subsidies for renewable energy.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is likely to prod Perry about his views on climate change, alternative energy sources, and ensuring the security of the country's aging nuclear weapons stockpile.
As an early candidate in 2016 GOP presidential primaries, he denied that human activity has any role in causing global warming, despite scientific consensus about the harmful effect of carbon emissions.
If confirmed by the Senate, Perry’s support could prove crucial to the four national laboratories in California that depend on funding from the Energy Department.
Perry, 66, has no scientific background, a sharp change from outgoing Secretary Ernest J. Moniz, a nuclear physicist.
Moniz was deeply involved in negotiating the international accord to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Perry has said the diplomatic deal should be scrapped.
Outside of Texas, Perry is perhaps best known for seeking to abolish the department Trump has picked him to lead.
While seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Perry pledged to eliminate three federal departments that he said were unnecessary.
But he forgot the name of the Energy Department during a televised candidates’ debate, a gaff that’s been called the “oops” moment that helped sink his campaign.
“It's three agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone: Commerce, Education and, the, uh, what's the third one there?” Perry said. “Commerce, Education and the, uh, the, uh…."
He continued, "The third agency of government I would do away with — the Education, uh, the, uh, Commerce, and let's see — I can't ... the third one, I can't. I'm sorry. ... Oops."
Twitter: @wjhenn
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