Murray, Cantwell vote against Gov. Rick Perry’s Energy Secretary nomination

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) both took the Senate floor Thursday morning, announcing that they would vote against President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Energy, Governor Rick Perry. In back-to-back speeches on the Senate floor, the Senators outlined their concerns with his lack of experience with Department of Energy programs, and his loyalty to big oil and corporations rather than advancing our country’s energy challenges, or fighting for working families.

Cantwell is a ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, says the Perry became famous for claiming that he wanted to get rid of the Department of Energy, but couldn't remember the agency's name during a presidential debate. Cantwell said Perry doesn't appreciate the work that the DOE oversees.

"The Department of Energy safeguards our nuclear arsenals, cleaning up the waste generated by World War II and our Cold War, and it plays a key role in protecting our energy infrastructure and cyber attacks," Cantwell said.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray wants to make sure the federal government fulfills its legal and moral obligation to clean up Hanford in a safe and timely manner.

"Families and workers in this region of our state sacrificed immensely for the good of our country and the safety of our world," Murray said in her address to the Senate. "And to this day there is a massive environmental impact created by decades of nuclear weapons production. This clean up effort is vital not only to health and safety of families and workers and the economy of Central Washington, but also for communities along the Columbia River."

Murray also touted the importance of supporting critical research and development conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the DOE's research and development lab in Richland.

Perry was confirmed to the role of Energy Secretary on Thursday by a 62-37 vote.