West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice praises Trump’s energy nominees, Wright and Burgum.

New Sen. Jim Justice began his first week in office warning that America faces a “crisis” unless the country addresses its energy policies — and quickly. But he expressed his confidence in two candidates President-elect Trump She chose to address this issue.

Republican from West Virginiawho was sworn in several days after other senators in order to complete his term as governor, is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which held confirmation hearings for Trump’s picks to lead the Department of Energy and the Department. Interior this week

Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy was Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, and the president-elect’s choice for Secretary of the Interior was North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. He called it the “Dream Team.” By American Conservation Coalition (ACC) President Christopher Barnard when their nominations were announced in November.

During Wright’s hearing on Wednesday, the judge said: “America has a very big crisis ahead of it. If we don’t solve this puzzle in a year and a half from today, we will have a crisis that you cannot solve.” “Imagine.”

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In an interview with Fox Business After the hearing, the judge explained, citing the country’s high debt, geopolitical threats, and growing demand for energy, including the data centers needed to power artificial intelligence.

He said increasing energy production in the United States is the answer to solving “all of the above.”

He said: “You must have an energy strategy, and you must follow the path in which America leads the world in the field of energy.” “Energy, for me, is the key to everything here, everything: it solves inflation. It stops financing the war – from Russia’s point of view, it solves absolutely everything – and yet, if we can’t take it to that level seriously, “We are making a huge mistake in this country.”

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Justice, a billionaire coal businessman, emphasized during Wright’s hearing that while it is important to pursue all forms of energy, it is not yet time to abandon fossil fuels.

“We need to embrace all forms of energy. But still, the moment you fully believe that we can do without fossil fuels in this world today, you are living in a cave. You are completely living in a cave,” he said. “In my opinion, we don’t need to “Make a huge effort so that China or India can dominate in many different ways.” Then a protester interrupted the justice.

Wright agreed with the Justice Department about embracing all forms of energy and said Trump does, too. When asked if he thought Wright’s chances were certain, the senator told FOX Business: “100%.”

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Justice also received high praise For Burgum After the nominee’s confirmation hearing on Thursday. The two are friends.

“Americans should know that they have someone who has spent time enjoying the outdoors as their next Secretary of the Interior, rather than some bureaucrat who has never set foot on a blind duck,” Justice told Fox Business afterward.

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The senator noted that he has known Burgum for a long time. When Justice was governor, he and Burgum often worked together on ways to empower their states through natural resources, and were bonded by their mutual love of environmental conservation.

“President Trump had great success in nominating Governor Burgum,” the senator added.