Libertarians on Rick Perry

LP congratulates Perry for opportunity to abolish Department of Energy

A modest congratulation

The Libertarian Party extends a hearty congratulations to Gov. Rick Perry for his announced nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Energy.

“Gov. Perry has a rare opportunity to head one of the agencies he pledged to abolish,” said Nicholas Sarwark, Chair of the Libertarian Party. “Even though most Republican politicians have proven incapable – or insincere – when it comes to abolishing anything in government, I’m confident he really means it this time.”

During Perry’s 2012 run for the Republican nomination for president, he pledged to abolish the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Education.

“No doubt he will be at least as successful as President Ronald Reagan and his Department of Education appointee, Bill Bennett, who promised to abolish that agency in 1980,” said Sarwark.

The Department of Education grew under Bennett’s leadership and has continued to grow, both in authority and dollars spent, ever since.

“Of course if the governor finds, like most Republican politicians, that he’s really not interested in shrinking government, or that the DOE is a gold mine for crony capitalist friends, he can always appease some of his supporters by simply transferring the functions currently run by the DOE – which include climate research and regulation of nuclear energy - to other departments within the federal government,” said Sarwark. “Not a single federal employee needs to be left unemployed. They can get a pink slip on Friday and report to a ‘new’ job down the street the following Monday doing the exact same work.”

Perry, who was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, is known for his cozy relationship with the oil and gas industry. Texas energy industry executives made substantial donations to his campaigns for governor as well as his 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns.

“And if that proves to be inconvenient,” Sarwark continued,” there’s always the rename option. He can simply ‘repeal’ the ‘Department of Energy’ and ‘replace’ it with the ‘Department of Alternative and Traditional Energy Oversight’ -- and continue operations without a hitch.”

"Why drain the swamp in Washington D.C. when you can simply declare it endangered wetlands?"