A group of Senate Democrats is looking to protect the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity from potential dissolution, as the Trump administration shutters diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a letter with three of his Democratic colleagues urging Energy Secretary Chris Wright to “follow the law” and, as a result, not terminate the bureau. They also ask Wright to reinstate workers who were put on administrative leave this week.
“The law does not allow the Secretary of Energy to terminate the Office of Energy Justice and Equity,” the Democrats said Thursday. “Only Congress has that power.”
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing each department head to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions.”
