Dem senator: Perry’s comments show Trump admin’s ‘dismissive’ approach to sexual assault

A top Democratic senator said Thursday that Rick Perry’s comment that fossil fuels can help combat sexual assault is “just the latest example” of the Trump administration’s “dismissive” approach to sexual assault.

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, listed Perry’s comments among other “deeply misinformed” actions by Trump officials with regards to sexual assault.

{mosads}“Hopefully Secretary Perry has now been informed that sexual assault in our country and around the world can’t simply be solved with more ‘fossil fuels,’ ” Murray said. “And as Secretary [Betsy] DeVos weighs rolling back critical sexual assault protections for students, his bizarre comment is unfortunately just the latest example of the Trump administration’s dismissive, deeply misinformed approach to a threat that people across the country, especially women, face and live with every day.”

Perry is facing backlash for saying that using fossil fuels to push power into remote villages in Africa can help prevent sexual assault. The Sierra Club called for his resignation over the comment.

“From the standpoint of sexual assault,” Perry said Thursday. “When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts.”

The Department of Energy said Perry’s statement was meant to highlight the way electricity will improve the lives of people in Africa.

“The secretary was making the important point that while many Americans take electricity for granted there are people in other countries who are impacted by their lack of electricity,” said Shaylyn Hynes, an agency spokeswoman.

Murray’s statement also refers to Education Secretary DeVos’s reversal of Obama-era guidelines for dealing with sexual assault on college campuses, a move that many have slammed as harmful to sexual assault survivors.