WASHINGTON — Rick Perry has cleared with ease a first hurdle to become energy secretary, even as many of President Donald Trump's other Cabinet nominees gird this week for bruising confirmation battles.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday voted 16-7 to give Perry a favorable recommendation, signaling that the only outstanding question surrounding the former governor is how big of a margin his vote in the full chamber will be.

Joining all of the committee's Republicans in supporting Perry were Democratic Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Catherine Cortez Masto of New Mexico and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine.

"The good, bipartisan vote that we had in committee will be attractive," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who leads the panel. "I would think that leadership would want to get these nominees that are attracting perhaps less controversy moved through the process."

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) participate in the confirmation hearing for former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. (Al Drago/The New York Times)

But amid chaos over Trump's opening days, bipartisan worries nonetheless stirred over the president's restructuring of the National Security Council.

One of Trump's recent executive orders removed certain members — including the energy secretary — from the council's principals committee, which has been described as the senior-most interagency body in the field.

And Murkowski highlighted broad concerns about the move.

"That's not something as chairman I can influence," she said, before pointing to some of the officials removed from the security committee. "I'm concerned about some of the decisions that have been made in regards to the chairman of the joint chiefs, the director of national intelligence."

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., offered the more pointed critique that with "everything that is happening on cyber and the threats that this nation is facing to our electricity grid, now is not the time to remove" the energy secretary. She also cited the agency's nuclear security role.

And Cantwell, the panel's senior Democrat, went even further in taking issue with the new administration.

She questioned Perry's commitment to energy efficiency and other efforts, saying his prior testimony "left me wondering if he would stand up and fight the White House's approach." In making that charge, she said she looked to Perry's record.

"Instead of answering my questions, it brought more concern," said Cantwell, the panel's top Democrat.

Despite those tensions, the sizable support behind Perry showed off both his successful personal diplomacy — and the deep-seated tension surrounding Trump's other Cabinet picks. The Texan is, after all, a man poised to lead an agency he once famously wanted to eliminate.

But Perry has offered a full-throated mea culpa for that stand, which was burned into his political resume by his inability at a 2011 presidential primary debate to recall that he had the Energy Department on the chopping block.

"My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking," he said at his confirmation hearing earlier in January.

And despite loud objections from environmentalists and Texas Democrats — particularly over Perry's deep ties to the oil industry — the Texan cruised through that hours-long session.

He bucked his president by saying flatly that "climate is changing" — and that at least some of the cause is human activity. He disavowed a Trump transition memo that appeared to target Energy Department employees who worked on climate change issues.

And he used humor to push back on reports that the Trump team was proposing significant Energy Department budget cuts.

"Maybe they will have the same experience I had and forget that they said that," he said at the hearing, eliciting laughter.

"Well, I think we found our 'Saturday Night Live' soundbite," Rick Perry laughs during Al Franken's questioning at confirmation hearing pic.twitter.com/aIIDmtHJvy — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 19, 2017

Indeed, Perry's committee hearing will probably be more remembered for a jocular exchange with Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Asked by the former comedian if Perry enjoyed their recent office visit, Perry said, "I hope you're as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch." The two — and the room — broke up in laughter at the amorous implications.

"May I rephrase that, sir?" Perry said, dubbing it a Saturday Night Live moment.