U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Martin Heinrich, Alex Padilla, and Ron Wyden have called on Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to adhere to his commitment to uphold the law regarding the Office of Energy Justice and Equity. The senators emphasized the importance of maintaining this office within the Department of Energy (DOE), following concerns raised during Wright’s confirmation hearing about potential conflicts of interest.
Senator Hirono questioned Wright during his nomination process, highlighting that as Secretary of Energy, he is accountable to “the American people, not to the shareholders or board members for an oil or gas company.” Despite opposition from Senator Hirono, Wright was confirmed by a 59-38 vote.
In their letter, the senators reminded Wright that during his confirmation hearing he pledged under oath to follow “the laws and statutes” if faced with directives from the White House conflicting with congressional authorization. They underscored that only Congress has the authority to abolish the Office of Energy Justice and Equity.
“The law is equally clear that the Secretary’s authority…does ‘not extend to the abolition of organizational units,’ like the renamed Office of Energy Justice and Equity,” they stated in their correspondence. They urged Wright to continue operations at this office in line with his sworn testimony.
The full text of their letter is available for public viewing.
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