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Rick Perry Says Fossil Fuels Can Help Prevent Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS NEWS) - Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said Thursday that fossil fuels can help prevent sexual assault by keeping the lights on, according to The Hill.

During an event in Washington, D.C., Perry brought up sexual assault after launching into a story about a trip to Africa, where he said "people are dying" because they don't have access to energy.

Rick Perry
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"And it's going to take fossil fuels to push power out into those villages in Africa, where a young girl said 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 and read by the light of a fire and have those fumes literally kill people," Perry said.

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