In an unusual display of bipartisanship in anything President Trump tries to do, Colorado’s Democrat senators have pledged their support to confirm Coloradan Chris Wright as the new Energy Secretary.
This comes as a surprise as John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet are dutiful subjects of the progressive environmental movement and tend to vote as instructed.
The usual Big Green suspects including the League of Conservation Voters won’t even consider supporting Wright simply because he was nominated by Trump.
And because Wright is willing to acknowledge climate change exists, but not blindly funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to Democrat causes and their financial backers.
Hickenlooper already crossed party lines on Thursday and voted to advance Wright’s nomination from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to the Senate floor.
John Frank over at Axios Denver reported the senators will back Trump’s pick:
Colorado’s two U.S. senators publicly shared their support in statements that praised Wright’s work as a scientist and entrepreneur but also indicated they don’t agree with all of his positions.
Bennet touted Wright’s “deep expertise in energy innovation and technology” and desire for America’s energy independence.
The Senate committee also advanced the nomination of former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department.
Hickenlooper voted to support Burgum as well, and told Politico:
“They work for President Trump. So I am not expecting anybody to come out and say they are gonna try to subvert or change what the president wants them to do,” Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), who voted for both nominees, said ahead of the committee vote. “But Burgum and Wright both share the feeling that climate change is real and that’s going to color a whole lot of other decisions that they make.”
Final votes on the Senate floor for both nominees is expected before the end of January.