Washington has acted like a “deaf adversary” when it comes to states and communities it is supposed to serve, according to President-elect Donald Trump’s Interior Department nominee in prepared remarks ahead of his confirmation hearing Tuesday.
The central message of Rep. Ryan Zinke, the Republican congressman from Montana and Trump’s choice for Interior, will be restoring trust.
“I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger, and even hatred against some federal management policies,” he said in the remarks released by the transition team ahead of this afternoon’s hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“Being a listening advocate rather than a deaf adversary is a good start.”
He will also extend a message of cooperation to Capitol Hill, explaining how he will need Congress’ help to acquire the funds necessary to make the over $12 billion in repairs to National Parks that will be part of Trump’s infrastructrue bill.
What his remarks do not bring up are the regulations on coal that the Interior Department pushed through under President Obama, but that Trump plans to undo. The remarks also say nothing about offshore or onshore drilling priorities. Those will surely come up in the question and answer session with senators.
Zinke will explain that he has only three goals as the secretary of Interior. First and foremost, “restore trust by working with rather than against local communities and states,” the prepared remarks read.
Second, he will prioritize the estimated $12.5 billion in a maintenance backlog to repair the country’s National Parks. Zinke will explain that he will need the help of Congress to do this.
“The President elect is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am going to need your help in making sure that bill includes shoring up our Nations treasures,” read the remarks.
“And third, to ensure the professionals on the front line, our rangers and field managers, have the right tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the right decisions that give a voice to the people they serve,” he will say.
He will also play up his experience as a Navy SEAL and how far he has come from serving in Iraq to being a state senator to serving in Washington in the House of Representatives.
“I have learned a lot since I was a SEAL in the deserts of Iraq,” say the remarks. “To accomplish my mission as Secretary of Interior, I know that I am going to need your help, confidence, and perhaps even prayers.”
Zinke is the first of three confirmation hearings this week, the most contentious of which will be Wednesday’s hearing with Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who is Trump’s nominee for heading the Environmental Protection Agency.
Pruitt is seen by green groups and Democrats as the antithesis to environmental protection and combatting climate change. He is expected to receive a grilling from Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
