December 13, 2016

‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestant nominated to oversee the U.S. nuclear program

https://thinkprogress.org/rick-perry-dances-into-the-trump-cabinet-f583f118f0a0#.9ihfae702
"The major role of the Energy Department is to oversee the country’s nuclear arsenals. For next year, the department has requested $12.9 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Another $6.8 billion was requested for “departmental management and performance programs, including environmental cleanup programs to meet the nation’s Manhattan Project and Cold War legacy responsibilities.” That means that well over half of the agency’s $32.5 billion budget will go to nuclear safety, management, and clean up. As governor and later as a candidate, Perry has been closely tied to a Texas-based radioactive waste disposal company. He was criticized for allowing the company to go forward with plans without a full environmental review. The current head of the department, Ernest Moniz, is a theoretical physicist. (In contrast, President-elect Donald Trump has said Perry “wears glasses to seem smart.”)"