TPPF Statement on Gov. Rick Perry’s Nomination as Secretary of Energy

AUSTIN, TX—Texas Public Policy Foundation President and CEO Brooke Rollins and Distinguished Senior Fellow-in-Residence and Director of the Armstrong Center for Energy and the Environment the Honorable Kathleen Hartnett White issued the following statements on former Texas Governor Rick Perry’s nomination as Secretary of Energy:

"Governor Perry's nomination as America's next Energy Secretary is a vindication of his lifetime of work defending American energy production and prosperity,” said Rollins. “When we look at the inescapable linkage between American flourishing and energy production, it is indisputable that Rick Perry, having presided over the epicenter of the American shale revolution, has done more to improve American lives, homes, and communities than almost any other public figure today.

“Furthermore, having known and worked with Governor Perry for twenty-seven years, I can attest firsthand that he possesses every quality Americans would want in executive-branch leadership: steadfast character, devotion to liberty, purposeful will, and empathetic heart. I am proud to have called him our Governor — and I am especially proud to call him a friend.

"Texas knows that Rick Perry knows energy. Now America will benefit from that achievement and that vision. We extend to him our most sincere congratulations.”

“Governor Perry is uniquely qualified to lead a new Department of Energy,” said White. “The policies he implemented in Texas reflect his keen understanding of the role of abundant energy in economic growth and geopolitics. And he well knows that prosperity, human well-being, and environmental quality are interdependent. I was honored to serve Governor Perry as his Chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality when Texas achieved dramatic improvement in air quality during a period of robust economic growth.”