A top Democratic appropriator blasted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during a hearing Wednesday, saying actions taken by his department had been “massively inefficient.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee, had several tense exchanges with Burgum, at one point accusing the secretary of “bragging” about efficiencies the Trump administration is making amid a tumultuous and chaotic period for his department.
“You’re not the first administration that’s looked for efficiencies,” Merkley said. “You’re creating vast inefficiencies while you’re bragging about doing efficiencies, and therefore, you really need to be honest with the American public about the damage you’re doing.”
Burgum shot back, saying the country cannot continue to spend more than it makes and that all of the Trump administration’s departments are focused on making the government spend less.
