Lawmakers asked the energy secretary questions about climate change, the Los Angeles wildfires and the Biden administration’s green energy policies during President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination hearing, which was interrupted by several climate protesters.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a confirmation hearing for Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy, on Wednesday, his birthday. .
Candidate Trump was introduced by Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, who described him as an “unrestrained fossil fuel enthusiast.” Mr Wright focused his answer on energy dominance, saying climate change is a “real problem”, global energy demand and the expansion of energy resources.
“The United States has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, demonstrate leadership in science and technology, manage our weapons stockpiles, and honor our Cold War legacy waste commitments,” Wright said in his opening statement. Ta.
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Chris Wright speaks during the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Mr Wright said he had identified three “immediate issues” that he would focus on if approved. It’s about unlocking American energy, leading the world in innovation and innovation, and expanding American production.
“President Trump shares my passion for energy, and if confirmed, I would put all of America’s affordable, reliable and safe energy sources to shame,” Wright told the committee. “I will continue to work tirelessly as an administrator to carry out his bold policies.”
Republicans, such as Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, have questioned Biden administration policies, including a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, restrictions on consumer electronics, and recently, blocking drilling along the coast. There is.
Several Democratic senators claimed that the committee chairman, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), had scheduled confirmation hearings before all the necessary documents on Wright had been provided to committee members. . Other Democrats took to the microphone to claim that the Los Angeles fires were caused by “climate change.”
President-elect Trump during a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena on November 4, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Despite the misinformation being spread here at the Capitol, in California, and everywhere in between, these fires have only reached this size and magnitude due to unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely strong winds. Clearly not, and both are direct effects of climate change,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at the hearing.
When asked about the issue of climate change, Wright said he believed it was a “real problem”
“I’ve been studying and tracking climate change data and evolution for at least 20 years. This is a global problem. It’s a real problem. It’s a challenging problem,” Wright said, adding that the solution is He added that he believed there was. Climate change “is about evolving our energy system.”
Fox News Digital captured footage of several climate protesters disrupting Wright’s hearing on Wednesday.
A demonstrator holds a banner reading “L.A. Burns Huge Oil Profits” as Chris Wright testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. (Bill Clark)
While Mr. Wright was being questioned, one demonstrator stood up and asked if his policies were “putting out the fires in Los Angeles.”
“Are you going to ask any questions or are you going to keep playing softball about the climate,” said another protester who was removed from the hearing room.
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Several other climate protesters were also stationed outside the hearing room, wearing shirts that read “Don’t let my future burn.”
Aubrey Spady is a writer for Fox News Digital.
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