Lamar Smith Statement on Appointment of Rick Perry to Secretary of Energy

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced former Texas Governor Rick Perry will lead the Department of Energy.

Rick Perry is an excellent choice to lead our nation’s Energy Department. He is a champion of energy development. As a former governor of Texas, Rick Perry has in-depth experience running a state with an economy that ranks 11th in the world.  Texas is an "all of the above" energy state and is the largest producer of oil and gas in the country as well as the largest producer of wind energy.  The Science Committee that I chair has jurisdiction over the Energy Department’s research and development budget of $10 billion. I look forward to working with the former governor and the Trump administration to develop less costly energy for the American people and to advance the Department’s core scientific missions.