Former Energy Under Secretary Says China Will Hire Those Fired by DOGE: ‘I, Too, Have Been Recruited’

HEINRICH Do you have ░░░░░░░░ on what the current ░░░░░░░░ at DOE and NNSA ░░░░░░░░ mean for our national ░░░░░░░░ in the long term ░░░░░░░░ in particular for workforce ░░░░░░░░ RICHMOND Senator Heinrich thank ░░░░░░░░ for that question Oh ░░░░░░░░ thank you for that ░░░░░░░░ I agree and you ░░░░░░░░ I hope you all ░░░░░░░░ how committed I was ░░░░░░░░ my position and now ░░░░░░░░ regards to national security ░░░░░░░░ the concern of China ░░░░░░░░ our most valuable assets ░░░░░░░░ these cuts particularly in ░░░░░░░░ security area but also ░░░░░░░░ to do with our ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure the cuts there ░░░░░░░░ give me even greater ░░░░░░░░ because they re immediate ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ at NNSA but also ░░░░░░░░ be able to handle ░░░░░░░░ information it requires a ░░░░░░░░ amount of background checks ░░░░░░░░ they ask all your ░░░░░░░░ And so my neighbors ░░░░░░░░ sick of being asked ░░░░░░░░ all these things I ░░░░░░░░ done But the point ░░░░░░░░ that when we make ░░░░░░░░ cuts even if we ░░░░░░░░ come on back after ░░░░░░░░ weekend cut what are ░░░░░░░░ chances that we ve ░░░░░░░░ the risk of someone ░░░░░░░░ hired by China to ░░░░░░░░ over and share what ░░░░░░░░ ve been doing I ░░░░░░░░ have been recruited I ░░░░░░░░ a letter not too ░░░░░░░░ ago that was like ░░░░░░░░ one hour s work ░░░░░░░░ I take 40 000 ░░░░░░░░ you know I don ░░░░░░░░ have a mortgage to ░░░░░░░░ but there are other ░░░░░░░░ that do So I ░░░░░░░░ have to say that ░░░░░░░░ cuts and especially how ░░░░░░░░ re going to impact ░░░░░░░░ energy infrastructure I think ░░░░░░░░ s time for us ░░░░░░░░ go to the new ░░░░░░░░ and to Secretary Wright ░░░░░░░░ ask what was the ░░░░░░░░ to decide how to ░░░░░░░░ that to make these ░░░░░░░░ Because the process that ░░░░░░░░ have at the Department ░░░░░░░░ Energy to make cuts ░░░░░░░░ we do make cuts ░░░░░░░░ our foreign from our ░░░░░░░░ employees is it s ░░░░░░░░ on budget priorities When ░░░░░░░░ develop our budgets we ░░░░░░░░ the priorities and if ░░░░░░░░ part of DOE doesn ░░░░░░░░ fit in those priorities ░░░░░░░░ the White House and ░░░░░░░░ the Secretary of Energy ░░░░░░░░ you eliminate those people ░░░░░░░░ you do it in ░░░░░░░░ a 2 year process ░░░░░░░░ you develop this budget ░░░░░░░░ Yeah RICHMOND because the ░░░░░░░░ are changing all the ░░░░░░░░ HEINRICH And one of ░░░░░░░░ things that I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to share ░░░░░░░░ folks is that one ░░░░░░░░ the probably the leading ░░░░░░░░ flag for someone being ░░░░░░░░ risk with respect to ░░░░░░░░ is financial distress So ░░░░░░░░ just created a whole ░░░░░░░░ of people with really ░░░░░░░░ clearances really important expertise ░░░░░░░░ are all under financial ░░░░░░░░ We created a bunch ░░░░░░░░ targets for the CCP ░░░░░░░░ I think I just ░░░░░░░░ m aghast at at ░░░░░░░░ unthoughtfully this is all ░░░░░░░░ carried out.”