Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) issued the following statement today upon news of former Governor of Texas Rick Perry’s expected nomination to head the Department of Energy (DOE):
“This nomination defies all logic. Governor Perry is on the record both forgetting about the Energy Department and then later remembering that he wanted to eliminate it. Governor Perry clearly does not recognize the importance the Energy Department plays in ensuring the safety and security of America’s nuclear arsenal and nuclear power plants.
“It is also deeply unsettling that our current Secretary of Energy, a renowned nuclear physicist, could be succeeded by a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Governor Perry is simply not qualified for this position and should be rejected."
