Zinke’s Record Falls Far Short and Adds to Trump’s Fossil Fuel Cabinet

WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump has named Rep. Ryan Zinke as his pick to become secretary of the Department of Interior. Natural Resources Defense Council President Rhea Suh made the following statement.

“Without a doubt, Rep. Zinke adds another fossil fuel champ to Trump’s pro-polluter cabinet. While Zinke has opposed selling off our public lands, his record falls way short of being able to meet the full mission of the Interior Department. That is to manage and protect our wildlife, our public lands and waters, and our cultural heritage for the benefit of all Americans, today and tomorrow. It is also to uphold and honor our responsibilities to indigenous people in America. That is the job and Zinke is the wrong person for the role. 

“All told, Trump’s cabinet represents an unprecedented takeover of our government by special interests.”

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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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