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Rick Perry: ‘I regret’ calling for the elimination of the Energy Department
Washington Times ^ | 01/19/2017 | By Ben Wolfgang

Posted on 01/19/2017 6:44:09 AM PST by SeekAndFind

As he tries to convince the Senate to put him in charge of the Energy Department, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry will tell lawmakers Thursday that he was wrong to recommend eliminating that same department.

During his 2012 presidential campaign, Mr. Perry, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for energy secretary, advocated getting rid of the Energy Department, along with several other federal agencies. At one GOP primary debate he was unable to remember all of the departments he sought to scrap, leading to his infamous “Oops” moment.

More than four years later, Mr. Perry now is a full-throated supporter of the Energy Department and said he’s learned a great deal about the agency’s role through conversations with current Secretary Ernest Moniz and others.

“I have learned a great deal about the important work being done every day by the outstanding men and women of the DOE. I have spoken several times to Secretary Moniz and his predecessors. If confirmed, my desire is to lead this agency in a thoughtful manner, surrounding myself with expertise on the core functions of the department,” Mr. Perry will tell the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday morning, according to excerpts released by the Trump transition team.

“My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking,” the former governor will say. “In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination. If confirmed, I will enter this role excited and passionate about advancing the core missions of the DOE, and drawing greater attention to the vital role played by the agency and the hard working men and women who dedicate themselves in pursuit of these missions.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 115th; biggovernment; climatechangehoax; doomage; energy; energydepartment; first100days; globalwarminghoax; perry; rickperry; trumpcabinet; trumpdoe; trumpenergy
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To: Iron Munro

He has no regret, except for saying it. And his instinct is correct. Close IT. Except for Nuke portion which should be reassigned to another legitimate department.


41 posted on 01/19/2017 7:12:33 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: SeekAndFind; All

I guess these moron democrats and never-trumpers don’t realize that, whatever the cabinet nominees say BEFORE they are confirmed is in no way binding AFTER they are in office. Hopefully people like Perry will take a page from the leftist playbook and say what the interrogators want to hear then do what is necessary once they are in there.


42 posted on 01/19/2017 7:13:51 AM PST by notdownwidems (Washington D.C. has become the enemy of free people everywhere!)
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To: fwdude
Regrets... like with his HPV vaccine mandate.

Yeah, he sure regretted getting caught, didn't he?


43 posted on 01/19/2017 7:13:57 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: fwdude

His wife is a nurse (a good one). She nursed my grandfather. I’m sure she convinced him it was a good thing.

I grew up 14 miles from the Perry’s. Know his parents, have never met Rick. He is somewhat younger than I am.

Warts and all, he was a very good Governor of Texas.

He can do a good job of “dealing” with the Department of Energy. He knows well the damage they have done to the Energy production business.


44 posted on 01/19/2017 7:16:20 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: PlateOfShrimp

Nobody working at the DOE have a clue what the “real purpose of the DOE” should be.

That is the Problem.

It is a hole where ComDem maggots strangle an entire industry.


45 posted on 01/19/2017 7:19:21 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: DoodleDawg

No, Rick does not “need” the job.


46 posted on 01/19/2017 7:20:33 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: RC one

Yes, and final assembly is in TX.


47 posted on 01/19/2017 7:21:31 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Responsibility2nd

bump


48 posted on 01/19/2017 7:22:53 AM PST by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: SeekAndFind

Sigh.


49 posted on 01/19/2017 7:25:23 AM PST by Tax-chick ("The less free you are, the more you are obliged to applaud.")
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To: PlateOfShrimp

Perry couldn’t remember the third Dept. he would eliminate, and I think he was disremembering the EPA. But then Ron Paul suggested there were 5 agencies that should be eliminated and Perry threw in DOE without thinking about it, I would guess. It’s hard to know if he’s just that dense or the drugs he was taking for his back pain making him loopy.


50 posted on 01/19/2017 7:33:16 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m good with Perry running the agency but if we don’t shut some of these agencies down the Dems will just weaponize them again when they get back in power.


51 posted on 01/19/2017 7:37:59 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: SeekAndFind
Perry could have easily got out of this trap by simply saying that he is not President and is not in charge of eliminating departments. It is a fact the DoE exists right now and he will ensure it is run efficiently etc etc blah blah blah


52 posted on 01/19/2017 7:41:26 AM PST by plain talk
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To: TheStickman

I am not worried about Perry, who IS in fact walking back his call for the end of the department. The DOE has many powerful people who benefit by its existence and they are squeezing anyone they can to squeak on the department’s behalf. Like you, I have faith in Trump’s desire to start cutting off the rotted pieces of this government. Perry gave his lip service and that is that.
T minus 25 hours and it will be glorious!


53 posted on 01/19/2017 7:44:41 AM PST by ArtDodger
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To: SeekAndFind

maybe he’s lying about this too /s.


54 posted on 01/19/2017 7:48:52 AM PST by dadfly
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To: Sacajaweau
...it was a number from Dancing with the stars. Big whoop...

Like I said, soooo embarrassing.

55 posted on 01/19/2017 7:51:59 AM PST by fwdude (Democrats have not been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.)
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To: SeekAndFind; All

These people are pathetic. Doesn’t anyone other than Trump have a spine?


56 posted on 01/19/2017 8:10:05 AM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: Iron Munro

IMO Perry should not be any part of Trump’s management group. If his appointment is successful, however, we have a whole lot of windmills in Texas that he can move to Blue states. Lots of better candidates.


57 posted on 01/19/2017 8:19:16 AM PST by Grams A (The Sun will rise in the East in the morning and God is still on his throne.)
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To: Texas Fossil

And, according to DJT, we will be modernizing our nuclear weapons


58 posted on 01/19/2017 8:20:56 AM PST by RC one (The 2nd Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances)
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To: Grams A
IMO Perry should not be any part of Trump’s management group. If his appointment is successful, however, we have a whole lot of windmills in Texas that he can move to Blue states. Lots of better candidates.

I was surprised at this nomination as well.

Perhaps the nomination was related to Perry's previously stated views of the Energy Department.

We'll just have to see what Donald had in mind.


59 posted on 01/19/2017 8:24:04 AM PST by Iron Munro (If Illegals voted Rebublican 50 Million Democrats Would Be Screaming "Build The Wall!")
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To: RC one
"DOE oversees the procurement of nuclear material for our nukes. They're kinda important."

Exactly so.

WWII nukes, power plants, SS Savannah, USS Nautilus, USS Enterprise and rest of nuclear Navy simply could not have existed prior to the formation of DOE in '77.

60 posted on 01/19/2017 8:25:43 AM PST by diogenes ghost
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