WATCH: Energy Secretary Nominee Rick Perry Makes Case to Enter White House

By Yessenia Funes Jan 19, 2017

Energy secretary nominee Rick Perry appears today (January 19) for his Senate confirmation hearing.

The former Texas governor will make his case to lead the Department of Energy to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Questions surrounding his oil industry ties and inexperience maintaining nuclear warheads are sure to rise—especially given The New York Times’ profile on the nominee released yesterday (January 18).

The Times writes that Perry accepted President-elect Donald Trump’s offer thinking he was taking on the role of “global ambassador for the American oil and gas industry.” The Times claims Perry didn’t realize he’d be overseeing the second largest arsenal of nuclear weaponry in the world. This is the same man who forgot the name of the agency when he ran for president in 2011. Back then, he wanted to eliminate the department.

Watch The Washington Post live stream above or from the beginning on C-Span. It began at 9:30 a.m. ET.