Perry says he regrets call to eliminate Energy Department
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Energy Department, said today he regrets his infamous statement about abolishing the federal agency and insisted it performs a critical function.
Perry told a Senate committee that if confirmed, he will be a passionate advocate for the department's core missions and will seek to draw "greater attention to the vital role played by the agency," especially in protecting and modernizing the nation's nuclear stockpile.
"My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking," Perry said. "In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination."
In 2011, at a Republican presidential primary debate, Perry was something of a punchline who famously forgot the department was one of the agencies he wanted to eliminate.