SECRETARY OF ENERGY: RICK PERRY
summary
The man who, in 2012, notoriously could not remember the Department of Energy when listing departments he intended to dismantle, now runs it. Back then, Perry was ignorant to the department’s responsibilities. When offered the position of Secretary of Energy, he accepted still without knowing what the Secretary of Energy does. Perry joins a list of Trump’s many appointees with little or no experience.
Defenders of Perry might argue that his time as Governor of Texas, the largest energy producing state, qualifies him to run the department of energy, but his position as governor hardly qualifies him to run a department focused on nuclear safety and technological innovation. The last three secretaries have all held science PhDs.
background
The Department of Energy:
- The Department of Energy (DOE) was officially founded in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter bringing together a couple of previous energy-related federal administrations responsible for energy management and nuclear security.
- The DOE’s responsibilities include:
- Transferring the US’s energy production to clean energy.
- Securing the US’s nuclear arsenal.
- Developing scientific and technological advances in energy production.
- While the secretary of energy position has historically been filled by a variety of elected officials, more recently, the position has been held by science PhDs.
Rick Perry:
- Perry entered politics as a Democrat and switched sides in 1989.
- Perry was elected governor of Texas in 2000 and is the longest serving governor in Texas history.
- Under Perry, Texas saw an economic boom, largely in its energy sectors.
- Perry has a lot of experience with fossil fuels and supports the fossil fuel industry. He sits on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline.
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the best defenses
Gubernatorial experience
Conservative Argument: Rick Perry’s experiences as the governor of Texas, the country's largest energy producing state, make him well-equipped to run the department of energy. Perry oversaw a energy boom in Texas. He invested in wind energy. He oversaw the creation of a nuclear waste treatment facility. He has lots of energy experience.
Response 1: Job creation in the fossil fuel industry isn’t one of the responsibilities of the department of energy. Perry has no experience whatsoever in the main responsibilities of the department.
- The DOE’s main role is overseeing security for the US’s nuclear arsenal, something Perry has no experience in.
- As a nuclear physicist, Obama's secretary of energy brought his expertise to the nuclear negotiations with Iran where he served as co-negotiator to Secretary of State John Kerry.
- One of DOE's central responsibilities is providing funding for the research and development of energy technologies that help make America more energy efficient. While Perry’s administration benefitted from new energy technologies (like new types of drilling and fracking), he didn’t oversee their development or make grants to encourage their development. He has no experience deciding which grant applications for new energy technologies deserve federal funds.
Response 2: Perry’s political background also suggests he won’t perform some of the duties of the secretary position.
- One of the responsibilities of the DOE is to “implement policies regarding fossil fuels ... while protecting the environment.” As governor of Texas, Perry reduced regulations and he opposes the actions of the EPA.
- Another responsibility of the DOE is to research and develop alternative sources of energy. While governor of Texas, Perry invested in wind power but did nothing for other renewable energy.
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warningS
It's easy to say Perry's so-called "energy experience” makes him qualified to run the Department of Energy, but this is based on a misunderstanding of the responsibilities of the DOE. The DOE doesn’t deal as much with energy as its name would lead you to believe.
Unlike other departments, the DOE has had many completely unqualified secretaries, just not in the last decade. When talking about Perry’s lack of qualifications, don’t say things like “He’s the least qualified secretary of energy ever.” Keep your timeframe recent.