On Tuesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee votes to confirm Rick Perry, Donald Trump’s pick for Energy secretary.
Perry is on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline. The project has been criticized for destroying sacred indigenous land and water sources. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren donated $5 million to Perry’s 2016 Presidential campaign, and employees donated over $1.5 million.
Just last week Trump sent out a memo signaling his support for both the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL pipeline. Instead of “draining the swamp,” he is setting up a “#SwampCabinet.” Not only are all of his nominees blatantly bought and paid for by big business, but they are also clear enemies to the people working in the Departments and Agencies they are to oversee.
Our land, water, and air will be sold to the highest bidder, and the millions of valuable civil servants who work for the federal government to protect the common good will be marginalized, sidelined, and muzzled.