Senate Should Reject ‘Polluter’ Cabinet Nominees Zinke and Perry

WASHINGTON – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted today to approve the nominations of Rep. Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and former Texas Governor Rick Perry for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The following is a statement by Scott Slesinger, legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“The Senate should reject these two nominees for the President’s ‘polluter’ cabinet. They are climate wafflers who have, collectively, received millions in campaign contributions from dirty energy companies.

“Ryan Zinke has been inconsistent in his commitment to land and water conservation. And Rick Perry lacks the scientific grounding to run a research agency that controls the country’s nuclear stockpile. Both nominees’ records run counter to the respective missions of the Interior and Energy departments—agencies that are critical to our environment and security.”

For more information, see these blogs:

by Elizabeth Noll, legislative director for the Energy & Transportation Program:
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/elizabeth-noll/will-perry-try-undo-big-years-clean-energy-progress

By Roland Hwang & Kit Kennedy, directors, Energy & Transportation Program :

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/roland-hwang/trumps-america-first-energy-plan-leaves-america-behind

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

 

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