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FIRST ON FOX: Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Energy Commission i Natural Resources, accuses Democrats of “delaying and obstructing” top energy nominees for President-elect Trump’s incoming administration.
“Senate Democrats are demonstrating once again that delaying and obstructing the incoming Trump administration are their top priorities,” Lee told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
“Both of you Gov. Doug Burgum and Chris Wright’s paperwork has been sent to the Office of Government Ethics from their respective agencies. The confirmation process is proceeding as it should, and good progress has been made to ensure that these nominees are thoroughly vetted and ready to serve. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has followed all the rules in observing its confirmation hearings.
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Mike Lee claimed that his Democratic counterpart is trying to delay confirmation hearings for Trump nominees. (Reuters)
“This is the same party that, in 2009, moved forward with hearings on President Obama’s nominees under almost identical circumstances. While the Democrats drag their feet, the Republicans move forward and do the work the American people expect us to do. It’s time for the Senate. Democrats to face the moment with the seriousness it demands.”
The Utah Republican was responding to claims by his Democratic counterpart on the committee, Ranking Member Martin Heinrich, who suggested that his scheduling of confirmation hearings for the CEO and founder of Freedom Energy Chris WrightTrump’s pick for Energy Secretary, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for Interior Secretary, broke protocol.
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This week, Heinrich responded to “a breach of decades-long Senate protocol and precedent” when he said Lee set up Burgum’s hearing without the consent of the committee’s minority.
“I am very disappointed that Chairman Lee has scheduled the first confirmation hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee over my objection and before basic information has been given to the committee. This is a breach of protocol and of precedents, established over decades by presidents of both parties,” Heinrich said in a statement Wednesday after Burgum’s confirmation hearing was officially set by Lee for Jan. 14.
Trump tapped Burgum to run the Interior Department. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He issued a second statement Thursday in response to Wright’s Jan. 15 confirmation hearing that was officially scheduled.
“I am extremely disappointed that Chairman Lee proceeded with a second nomination hearing without receiving information from the nominees required by law and in compliance with committee rules, including a completed FBI background check and a financial report,” the senator said.
Heinrich said, “The documents that the Energy and Natural Resources Democrats don’t have are not just paperwork. These are the documents, disclosures and (an) ethics agreement that our committee rules and the law require.”
But according to Lee, who assumed the role of chairman after Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., was elected to serve as Senate majority whip, his actions are in line with committee precedent.
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Lee is the new chairman of the Energy Committee. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He also maintained that he is “in full compliance” with all the rules when it comes to setting confirmation hearings for Trump’s picks for key energy roles.
While Heinrich accused Lee of going against precedent, a similar scenario played out in 2009 in former President Obama’s administration. Steven Chu and Ken Salazar, the former secretaries of Energy and Interior, respectively, had their confirmation hearings announced by former Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman before receiving all the documents.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Democratic committee said that these are the only cases in this timeline of events “despite dozens and dozens of candidates being considered by the committee.
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In 2009, some Obama nominations ran on a similar timeline. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Furthermore, unlike the hearings observed by Chairman Lee, the committee received the disclosures from Dr. Chu and Mr. Salazar only one day after the notice was issued. It has been days since the Chairman Lee noted these hearings. But the committee has not yet received the required documents and there is no guarantee that they will be received by the time the hearings occur.”
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Lee’s take on Heinrich’s criticism was that Democrats “want to combine the notice with the requirements that generally apply to nominations.”
“Don’t worry, the Republicans will continue to comply with all committee rules,” he said.
