Congressional Western Caucus Applauds One of Their Own Being Tapped for Interior Secretary

Statement

Today, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Congressional Western Caucus member Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to serve as Secretary of the Interior.

Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) and caucus members Rep. Kristi Noem (SD-AL) and Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02) issued the following statements in response:

"The Congressional Western Caucus applauds President-elect Trump for nominating a great champion of the West to serve as Secretary of the Interior. Congressman Zinke is a retired Navy SEAL and patriot who continues to honorably serve this great nation. Ryan is uniquely qualified for this critical role and the country will benefit from his experience as a member of the Congressional Western Caucus and the House Committee on Natural Resources. I look forward to working closely with the new Secretary throughout the 115th Congress to deliver on meaningful results that will improve the lives of all Americans. I will be inviting him to meet with our membership in early January." said Chairman Gosar.

"Americans will be well served by having the commonsense of a Westerner at the head of the Interior Department," said Congresswoman Noem. "For years, we have battled the agency over the best way to approach land use, but I'm confident with Ryan as Secretary, our federal lands and natural resources can be enjoyed by the public, used to meet the needs of a nation, and preserved for future generations."

"I applaud President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Congressman Zinke as Secretary of the Interior," said Congressman Simpson. "It is vitally important to have a Westerner leading the Department of the Interior. Having our neighbor from Montana leading the department will be good for Idaho because of our similar values on public lands and the importance of continued access to these special places we love to visit."

Source