Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Trump Energy + Enviro Team Moves Closer to Confirmation

This was published in Climate Nexus 'Hot News'

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will vote on the nominations of both Rick Perry for Energy Secretary and Rep Ryan Zinke for Interior Secretary today. Both relatively non-controversial nominees expected to pass committee, despite Democratic concerns over their shaky positions on climate change and worries over funding cuts and suppression of science in both departments under a Trump administration. Zinke and Perry provided written answers to committee members' follow-up questions earlier this week, with Perry reassuring senators that he would not politicize scientific research at DOE and expressing nonspecific support for renewables programs, while Zinke looked forward to "reviewing" the work of the DOI's Climate Centers. In the Senate, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson's nomination for Secretary of State cleared a procedural vote, with a final confirmation vote possible as early as Wednesday. (Perry + Zinke: The Hill. Written answers, all Politico Pro $: Perry, Perry, Zinke. Tillerson: The Hill, USA Today)

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