Senate Democrats urge Republicans to delay hearing on Trump’s energy secretary pick Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Energy Committee urged the committee’s Republican chairman on Tuesday to postpone a confirmation hearing on President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Energy, citing paperwork delays.
Chris Wright’s hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Wright plans to step down as CEO and chairman of Liberty Energy after he is confirmed as secretary of energy. It is expected to help strengthen Trump’s policy of energy dominance by increasing US oil and gas production.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, his fellow Democrats and one independent committee member wrote to Republican Sen. Mike Lee, the chairman, saying the committee had not received documentation on Wright from the Office of Government Ethics. They urged Lee to postpone the hearing for at least a week. Paperwork includes a financial statement and ethics agreement.
OGE said it does not comment on individual cases.
On Monday, Lee postponed Doug Burgum’s nomination hearing for two days until Thursday, citing the OGE delay. Democrats urged him to postpone that hearing for a week.
Burgum is Trump’s choice for interior secretary and is expected to lead a new council to increase domestic oil and gas production, which is already at record highs.
Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timing of Wright’s hearing.
