‘Delay and Obstruction’: Top Senate Republican Hits Back as Dem Considers Misconduct at Trump Confirmation Hearings
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Speaker Energy Committee i Natural Resources, is accusing Democrats of “delaying and obstructing” the top energy nominees for President-elect Trump’s incoming administration.
“Senate Democrats are showing once again that delaying and obstructing the incoming Trump administration are their top priorities,” Lee told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
“Both Governor Doug Burgum and Chris Wright’s records were turned over to the Office of Government Ethics by their respective agencies. The confirmation process is progressing as it should and good progress has been made to ensure that these candidates are thoroughly vetted and ready for service. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee followed all the rules in noting their confirmation hearings.
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Mike Lee claimed that his Democratic colleague is trying to delay the confirmation hearings for Trump’s nomination. (Reuters)
“This is the same party that launched the 2009 hearings on President Obama’s nominees under almost identical circumstances. While Democrats stall, Republicans are moving forward and doing the job the American people expect us to do. It’s time for Senate Democrats to meet the moment with the seriousness it demands. .”
The Utah Republican was responding to claims by his Democratic colleague on the board, Rep. Martin Heinrich, who suggested that his scheduling of confirmation hearings for the CEO and founder Liberty Energy Chris WrightTrump’s pick for Secretary of Energy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Interior, broke protocol.
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This week, Heinrich responded to the “violation of decades-long Senate protocol and precedent” when he said Lee scheduled Burgum’s hearing without the consent of the committee’s minority.
“I am extremely disappointed that Chairman Lee scheduled the first confirmation hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee despite my objection and before the background information was given to the committee. This is a violation of protocol and precedent, established by presidents of both parties for decades,” he said. Heinrich said in a statement Wednesday after Lee officially scheduled Burgum’s confirmation hearing for Jan. 14.
Trump chose Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
On Thursday, he issued a second statement in response to Wright’s confirmation hearing officially scheduled for Jan. 15.
“I am extremely disappointed that Chairman Lee observed a second nomination hearing without obtaining information from the nominee as required by law and in accordance with committee rules, including a completed FBI background check and financial report,” the senator said.
Heinrich said, “The documents that the Energy and Natural Resources Democrats don’t have are not just paperwork. They are documents, disclosures and (one) ethics agreement that are required by our board’s rules and by law.”
But according to Lee, who assumed the role of chairman after Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., was tapped to serve as Senate majority whip, his actions are consistent 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 further asserted that he was “in full compliance” with all the rules when it came to setting up confirmation hearings to confirm Trump’s picks for key energy roles.
While Heinrich accused Lee of going against precedent, a similar scenario played out in 2009 under former President Obama’s administration. Steven Chu and Ken Salazar, former Energy and Interior secretaries, had their confirmation hearings announced by former Energy Administration Chairman Jeff Bingaman before all the documents were received.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Democratic Committee said these are the only examples of this timing of events “despite the dozens and dozens of candidates the committee is considering.
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In 2009, some of Obama’s nominations ran on a similar timeline. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Furthermore, unlike the hearings noted by Chairman Lee, the board received the disclosures of Dr. Chu and Mr. Salazar just one day after the notice was issued. It has been days since Chairman Lee noted these hearings. But the board has yet to receive the requested documents and there is no guarantee that they will receive them by the time of the hearings.”
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Lee’s position on Heinrich’s criticism was that Democrats “want to couple the notice with the requirements that generally apply to nominations.”
“Rest assured, Republicans will continue to follow all committee rules,” he said.
