‘What did you find out?’: GOP senator stumps Biden’s interior secretary with questions about major wind project
May 2, 2023 | John Hugh DeMastri
Daily Caller News Foundation
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland failed seven times to answer questions from Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho about her knowledge of a major wind project in the state, in a Senate Energy Committee Meeting Tuesday.
At one point, the secretary said that she did not have a “complete readout” of what the department knew, prompting the frustrated senator to interrupt her demanding that she “[g]imme an incomplete readout!”
The Lava Ridge project has been fiercely opposed by a myriad of interests, ranging from local governments, ranchers and advocates for the Minidoka National Historic Site, which commemorates the thousands of Japanese-Americans imprisoned in internment camps in the U.S. during World War 2, according to The Associated Press.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland repeatedly failed to answer questions from Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho about a major wind project in the state, despite having previously promised Idaho lawmakers that she would learn more about the project, in a Senate Energy Committee hearing Tuesday.
“I’m gonna focus on one thing today, one thing and one thing only and that is the Lava Ridge wind turbine project in Idaho, have you heard of it?” asked Risch. “OK, you’ve heard of it because Congressman [Mike] Simpson, Congressman [Russ] Fulcher twice this year have raised it with you in hearings, is that right?
“Yes, I believe so,” said Haaland.
“They told me that at that time that you didn’t know anything about it, but that you were gonna look into it, is that a fair statement?” Risch asked, drawing another affirmative response from the secretary. “OK, so what’ve you found out?” he continued.
“The [Bureau of Land Management] has been engaged with stakeholders including the state, local, counties, grazing permittees, tribes and other federal agencies early on in the process. It’s coordinated with the Idaho Resource Advisory Council and the Lava Ridge Wind Project [Subcommittee] and the BLM has also coordinated with the [Interior Department’s] collaborative action and dispute resolution staff to engage stakeholders with ties to the Minidoka Historical Site.”
“That’s great!” the GOP senator responded. “What did you find out? With all this coordination and discussion and meetings.”
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https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/05/02/what-did-you-find-out-gop-senator-stumps-bidens-interior-secretary-with-questions-about-major-wind-project-1355387/
