Rick Perry thinks fossil fuels can help stop sexual assault

Say what you will about Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, but don’t you ever question his loyalty to fossil fuels.

In a conversation with Axios and NBC Wednesday, the secretary discussed the Trump administration’s current energy priorities. The secretary, who recently returned from a trip promoting fossil fuels in Africa, highlighted the energy’s ability to “shine the light” on sexual assault.

Here’s the full quote for context:

“I just got back from Africa, I’m going to finish up with this, because I think I heard a lady say there are people dying. Let me tell you where people are dying, is in Africa, because of the lack of energy they have there. And it’s going to take fossil fuels to push power out into those villages in Africa, where a young girl told me to my face, ‘one of the reasons that electricity is so important to me is not only because I’m not going to have to try to read by the light of a fire and have those fumes literally killing people.’ But also from the standpoint of sexual assault. When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will, on those types of acts. Read more…

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