Perry recasts his stance on climate
WASHINGTON — In a tempered appearance before the U.S. Senate on Thursday, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry pulled back on his more controversial positions on climate change research and the usefulness of the Department of Energy, seemingly charming his critics with the sense of humor that helped make him one of the state’s most successful politicians.
Perry, nominated as energy secretary last month by President-elect Donald Trump, offered a mea culpa for his proposal during a failed presidential bid in 2011 to eliminate the agency he is expected to lead, telling the Senate and Energy Natural Resources Committee that he regretted it, “after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy.”
And in a stark turnaround from statements made during his 14-year tenure as governor of Texas — he once described climate science as a “contrived, phony mess” — Perry said, “I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity.”
The hearings offered Perry, 66, the chance to recast a political career that had seemed on a downward slide in recent years. Besides his ill-fated and gaffe-ridden presidential run six years ago, recent appearances on the reality show “Dancing With the Stars” led some political analysts to wonder whether Perry could ever return to high office and might be angling for a television career.
Pragmatic approach
But whether taking questions on the nation’s growing backlog of nuclear waste or reports that Trump planned to slash the Energy Department’s budget, Perry maintained a steady and knowledgeable calm. Perry didn’t miss a beat when asked his opinion of the potential spending cuts.
“Maybe they’ll have the same experience I had and forget that they said that” — a reference to his famous “oops” moment during a presidential debate when he could not remember the Energy Department as the third of three federal agencies he proposed abolishing. The room erupted in laughter. “This has been part of his effectiveness and charm since he was first elected to the (Texas) Legislature in the 1980s,” said Ray Sullivan, an Austin political consultant and Perry’s former chief of staff. “Even his strongest political opponents recognize his decency and friendliness.”
On policy questions, Perry presented himself as a pragmatist willing to exploit whatever forms of energy are available if they help grow the U.S. economy. He frequently took pains to remind Democrats of his record growing the Texas wind industry into the country’s largest. And when asked about whether he supported research into this form of energy or that, he uttered the phrase, “All of the above, Senator.”
But he also made clear that the department’s focus on renewable energy was going to change. Asked about the disparity in funding for coal research by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Perry reminded the Senate he was an unapologetic champion of the oil and gas industry and fossil fuels at large.
“Don’t get me confused with the (Obama) administration,” he said. “I have promoted those sources of energy that can drive an economy.”
In acknowledging climate change while arguing steps to combat it must be considered against their potential impact on jobs and the economy, Perry aligned himself with other Trump Cabinet picks, including Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, and Environmental Protection Agency nominee Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general.
Worries of being politicized
But it was not enough to satisfy former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who asked Perry if he considered climate change a “global crisis.”
Perry dodged. “I think that having an academic discussion with scientists or with you, it is an interesting exercise,” he said, again pointing to his record developing and expanding wind power in Texas. “Don’t you think that is a good thing?” he asked Sanders.
“I think what would be a better thing is for you to say we have a global crisis,” Sanders responded.
As secretary of energy, Perry would both be in charge of maintaining the U.S. nuclear missile arsenal and heading a sprawling research apparatus that has helped develop technologies from hydraulic fracturing to wind power.
To those concerned that the department would be politicized under Trump, Perry promised that he would make decisions based on “sound science.” He offered no justification for the transition team’s questionnaire to the Department of Energy asking for the names of employees who worked on climate change — something Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz refused to comply with.
“That questionnaire you reference went out before I was even selected to be nominee,” he said. “I didn’t approve it. I don’t need that information. … I am going to protect the men and women of the scientific community from anyone who would attack them.”
Seen as likely to prevail
After the hearing, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate energy committee, said she wanted to hold a vote on his confirmation soon but did not offer a specific date.
The sense among political operatives watching was Perry was a virtual lock to be confirmed. The former governor had prepared vigorously, studying and speaking with Moniz and past energy secretaries, Sullivan said.
But as Perry himself admitted, the moment likely to be most remembered would be his comment to Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., a former “Saturday Night Live” comedian, about their private meeting: “I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch.”
After a collective howl of laughter, Perry, realizing the potential implication of what he said, interjected, “May I rephrase that, sir?”
“I think we found our ‘Saturday Night Live’ sound bite,” Perry said.