Rick Perry, Energy Secretary?
In 2012, Rick Perry, then-governor of Texas, ran for president, and his platform included eliminating three federal government agencies: Education, Commerce, and … another one.
Oops!
The third department he wanted to eliminate was the Department of Energy. Four years later, Donald Trump has nominated Rick Perry to head that very department.
While this move is somewhat amusing, and extremely ironic, it’s also a frightening prospect. Here are some of the points against Perry’s nomination:
BEHOLDEN TO OIL & GAS
- When he ran for president in 2012, Perry’s proposed energy plan was dubbed a “wish list for the oil and gas industry.”
- Rick Perry sits on the board of energy companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Democrats, meanwhile, are proud to stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe because every American has a right to clean drinking water.)
- Rick Perry called for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is a proud proponent of the Keystone XL pipeline.
WON’T KEEP OUR PLANET LIVABLE
- Rick Perry, who rejects the science of climate change, joins a chorus of climate change deniers in the Trump administration.
- Rick Perry doesn’t believe that the federal government is responsible for ensuring Americans’ access to clean air or water, despite laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
- Rick Perry railed against EPA regulations that attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
LACKS BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- The current Energy Secretary is Ernest Moniz, a distinguished nuclear physicist formerly of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to that, Steven Chu — a Nobel laureate physicist — filled the role. And their predecessor in the Bush administration had a Doctorate. The Senate has to ask themselves whether Perry’s bachelor’s degree in animal science prepared him to manage our nation’s nuclear program.
- During his tenure as the governor of Texas, Perry’s administration was notoriously secretive, deleting emails after only a week and refusing to release records on topics like his daily schedule and the state’s technology fund.
- Rick Perry’s last public role was a 12th-place finish on the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars.
In order to keep moving forward, we need an Energy Secretary who understands the complexities of nuclear policies and the importance of investing in renewable energy. Or, at the very least, an Energy Secretary who believes climate change is real and knows what his department does.
If you agree that Rick Perry is thoroughly unqualified for the role, share this post on Twitter and Facebook.
