In a switch, President-elect Donald Trump settled on Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican just elected to his second term in the House, for secretary of the Interior, said NBC News, one of several news organizations to report the decision. Zinke, 55, “described as an avid hunter and fisherman, was an early and consistent supporter of Trump’s campaign,” said NBC.
“Zinke is a strong supporter of coal, oil and gas exploration and development with a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Votes,” said NBC. A Trump transition spokesman praised Zinke. There was no official announcement of the selection. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers was regarded as the front-runner for Interior but “ran into fierce opposition from environmental advocates who were angered by her introduction of legislation to sell off public lands,” said NBC.
A member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Zinke is a retired Navy SEAL.
Trump has offered the Interior post to Zinke, two transition officials told Politico. Zinke, who is Montana’s at-large member of the House “is also being discussed by prominent Washington Republicans as a possible 2018 candidate for the Montana Senate seat now held by Democrat Sen, Jon Tester,” Politico said. Zinke, McMorris Rodgers and Rep. Raul Labrador, an Idaho Republican, met Trump on Monday to discuss the Interior Department job.
“Out of all the Republicans on the Hill, Zinke has one of the strongest track records on conservation and public land issues — and he’s even voted against his own party at times,” said Politico, citing his opposition to transferring federal land to control by Utah. “Zinke’s targets could include ending limits on offshore drilling, lifting Interior’s freeze on new coal leases and abandoning federal fracking regulations, such as a rule that a judge struck down in June.”