Rep. Andrea Salinas Confronts Department of Energy Secretary Wright

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) confronted U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright during a Committee on Science, Space, and Technology hearing. Rep. Salinas questioned Secretary Wright about rising energy and gas costs since President Trump took office in his second term, which is contributing to the affordability crisis.

A transcript of the questioning is available below:

REP. SALINAS: Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to our Ranking Member. And thank you, Secretary Wright, for being here today. President Trump made a series of promises to bring down costs when he was running for president, and I want to review and see if he kept those promises. So, let's start with gas prices. The average cost of gas on the day President Trump took office, not under Biden, but the day he took office, was around $3 a gallon. On the campaign trail, he said he would bring the price of gas to under $2 a gallon. What is the price of gasoline today?

SEC. WRIGHT: It's different in all different districts and in all different gas -

REP. SALINAS: In the U.S., on average.

SEC. WRIGHT: The average price of gasoline in the U.S. today is about $4.15.

REP. SALINAS: That's right, it's up over 33%, or $1 a gallon. That is well over the $3 per gallon. It's gone way up, not down. So, what's happened since President Trump took office on electricity? Have electricity rates been cut in half as he promised, or have those gone up?

SEC. WRIGHT: Electricity grids are long-term processes, and the Biden Administration would not allow the construction of any reliable economic energy sources, so of course all the new kit that's coming on the electricity grid, almost all that's coming on today, is still what was approved under the Biden Administration. And yes, it's continued its upward progress in electricity -

REP. SALINAS: Okay, reclaiming my time.

SEC. WRIGHT: But that will be reversed.

REP. SALINAS: Okay, reclaiming my time. You work for the Trump Administration. I asked a simple question. The answer is that electricity prices have gone up 10% under President Trump, and much more than the rate of inflation, and certainly more than my constituents, my farmers, my hardworking Oregonians can afford right now. So, let's get this straight. President Trump said he would bring down the price of gas to under $2 a gallon and would cut our energy bills in half. This has not happened. And not only has he broken promises, gas and electricity prices have soared under his leadership. And I want to look at why. Did you warn President Trump that going to war with Iran would drive up gas prices for American families?

SEC. WRIGHT: The Trump - I have lots of dialogues with President Trump, which are presidential privilege, but the Administration was well aware of the energy price impacts of this war would cause. They knew there would be a cost for it. But are you comfortable with this regime in Iran with nuclear weapons? I'm guessing not.

REP. SALINAS: Okay, reclaiming my time. I do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

SEC. WRIGHT: Great.

REP. SALINAS: You knew ahead of time that this would cost American families, and President Trump still went to war, and has not achieved any kind of being able to get his arms around the nuclear weapons from Iran. Many experts have basically said, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said, we have not actually satisfied that. And at the same time, the Strait of Hormuz, that President Trump can also not get his arms around, is being constricted, and oil prices are going up. That is the case right now. The fundamental problem here is that Trump energy policies are completely backwards, and if we want affordable energy, we need to invest in clean energy and not be going into senseless wars. You have testified before several committees that states with renewable portfolio standards have electricity prices that are 50% higher than the national average. Is this true?

SEC. WRIGHT: That is true.

REP. SALINAS: All right, it is not true. My state of Oregon alone has strong renewable energy requirements and lower than average electricity prices, and we aren't alone. Many other states have similar requirements to Oregon, and have electricity prices below the national average, including Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, and Washington. We know -

SEC. WRIGHT: Legacy hydro states. There's a reason for that. It's not because of your wind and solar. And the 50% is true. It's an average. You can always find exceptions.

REP. SALINAS: Reclaiming my time.

SEC. WRIGHT: Just trying to stay with accuracy here.

REP. SALINAS: We know what happens when we rely on fossil fuels and exclude renewables. Gas prices are up because of Trump's war of choice in Iran. And for the sake of our pocketbooks, our environment, and the jobs and economy of the future, we need to invest in low-cost, diverse sources of renewable energy. Instead, you're doing the exact opposite right now and driving up costs. President Trump has broken his promises. You are promoting backward policies, and my constituents, my farmers, my families, my workers are suffering for this. I would love to work with you to get us back on track, and I yield back.

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