A top Democratic senator said Thursday that Rick Perry Rick PerryOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Democrats push resolution to battle climate change, sluggish economy and racial injustice | Senators reach compromise on greenhouse gas amendment stalling energy bill | Trump courts Florida voters with offshore drilling moratorium OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump signs major conservation bill into law | Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official | Trump Jr. expresses opposition to Pebble Mine project Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official MORE’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 Patricia (Patty) Lynn MurrayTrump health officials grilled over reports of politics in COVID-19 response CDC director pushes back on Caputo claim of 'resistance unit' at agency The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (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.

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“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.