Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has accused Senate Democrats of delaying and obstructing top energy nominees for President-elect Trump's incoming administration. Lee emphasized that the confirmation process for Gov. Doug Burgum and Chris Wright is progressing as it should, with their paperwork submitted to the Office of Government Ethics.
Lee defended his actions, stating that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee has followed all rules in noticing the confirmation hearings, despite claims from Democratic ranking member Martin Heinrich that the scheduling breached protocol. Heinrich expressed disappointment over the hearings being set without the consent of the committee's minority.
