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McCollum: Zinke, Trump Will Put Private Interests Ahead of Public Good

January 17, 2017

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is today considering the nomination of Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) to serve as Secretary of the Interior. Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.), the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of the Interior, released the following statement on the Zinke nomination:

“With his nomination of Representative Ryan Zinke to lead the Department of the Interior, President-elect Donald Trump has shown once again that he will put the fossil fuel industry and private interests before the public good of all Americans.

“Representative Zinke has consistently voted to erode protections for endangered species. He has favored legislation that weakens environmental protections and makes it easier for big polluters to exploit our public resources. He has refused to acknowledge the reality of man-made climate change. And, just this month, he supported the House Republican plan to devalue America’s public lands in order to transfer them to private interests.

“The core mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect public lands and endangered species, preserve our national and natural heritage, and uphold our obligations to Native Americans. I am deeply concerned that President-elect Trump and Representative Zinke plan to pursue policies sharply at odds with that core mission. If they do, you can count on me to fight them every step of the way.”