FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Committee on Power and Pure Sources, is accusing Democrats of “delaying and obstructing” prime vitality nominees for President-elect Trump’s incoming administration.
“Senate Democrats are once again showing that delaying and obstructing the incoming Trump administration are their top priorities,” Lee informed Fox Information Digital in an unique assertion.
“Both Gov. Doug Burgum and Chris Wright’s paperwork has been submitted to the Office of Government Ethics from their respective agencies. The confirmation process is moving forward as it should, and good progress has been made to ensure these nominees are thoroughly vetted and ready to serve. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has followed every rule in noticing their confirmation hearings.
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Mike Lee claimed his Democratic counterpart is trying to delay Trump’s nominee confirmation hearings. (Reuters)
“This is identical celebration that, in 2009, went forward with hearings for President Obama’s nominees beneath close to similar circumstances. Whereas Democrats drag their toes, Republicans are shifting ahead and doing the work the American folks count on us to do. It is time for Senate Democrats to satisfy the second with the seriousness it calls for.”
The Utah Republican was responding to claims from his Democratic counterpart on the committee, ranking member Martin Heinrich, who suggested that his scheduling of confirmation hearings for CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Chris Wright, Trump’s pick for secretary of energy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice for secretary of the interior, breached protocol.
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This week, Heinrich responded to “a breach of decades-long Senate protocol and precedent” when he said Lee set Burgum’s hearing without the consent of the committee’s minority.
“I’m extraordinarily upset that Chairman Lee has scheduled the primary Senate Power and Pure Sources Committee affirmation listening to over my objection and earlier than primary info has been given to the committee. It is a breach of protocol and precedent, established over a long time by chairs of each events,” Heinrich said in a statement Wednesday after Burgum’s confirmation hearing was officially set by Lee for Jan. 14.
Trump tapped Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He issued a second statement Thursday in response to Wright’s Jan. 15 confirmation hearing being officially scheduled.
“I’m extraordinarily upset that Chairman Lee has seen a second nomination listening to with out having acquired info from nominees required by regulation and in adherence to committee guidelines, together with a accomplished FBI background test and monetary report,” the senator said.
Heinrich said, “The paperwork that the Power and Pure Sources Democrats should not have will not be simply paperwork. These are the paperwork, disclosures and (an) ethics settlement which can be required by our committee guidelines and the regulation.”
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 precedent in the committee.
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Lee is the new Energy Committee chairman. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He further maintained that he is “in full compliance” with all rules when it comes to setting up 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 the Interior, respectively, had their confirmation hearings announced by former energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman before all documents were received.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for committee Democrats said these are the only instances of this timeline of events “regardless of dozens and dozens of nominees being thought-about by the committee.
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In 2009, some Obama nominations operated on the same timeline. (Scott Olson/Getty Photos)
“Further, unlike the hearings Chairman Lee has noticed, the committee did receive Dr. Chu and Mr. Salazar’s disclosures only one day after the notice was issued. Days have passed since Chairman Lee noticed these hearings. But the committee has yet to receive the required documents and has no assurance that it will receive them by the time the hearings occur.”
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Lee’s tackle the criticisms from Heinrich was that Democrats “want to conflate notice with requirements that apply generally to nominations.”
“Rest assured, Republicans will continue to comply with all the committee rules,” he mentioned.
