Burgum confirmation hearing postponed from Tuesday to Thursday amid paperwork delays By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times - Monday, January 13, 2025
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee pushed the confirmation hearing scheduled for Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum from Tuesday to Thursday because the chamber has yet to receive required ethics paperwork.
Sen. Mike Lee, the panel’s chairman, said Mr. Burgum promptly submitted his paperwork to the Office of Government Ethics, which has yet to complete its review.
“This bureaucratic delay is unacceptable,” the Utah Republican said. “To ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of this process, the committee will postpone Governor Burgum’s hearing until Thursday. However, we expect OGE to act with urgency and complete its review without further unnecessary delays.”
Mr. Lee’s announcement came shortly after Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich of New Mexico led panel Democrats in a letter calling on the chairman to postpone the hearing “for at least a week” so the Senate could receive and review the required documents.
“The committee still has not received the standard financial disclosure report, ethics agreement or the opinions from the designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics stating that the nominee is in compliance with the ethics laws,” the Democrats wrote.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said in floor remarks Monday that getting the background documents “is not trivial, busy work.”
“If these nominees have something to hide, these documents could show it,” he said. “So it’s important we don’t rush to hearings without examining the record first.”
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