Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement on her vote today in support of U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior:
“The majority of Nevada’s land is operated by the federal government, and the Department of the Interior will continue to directly affect many issues that concern our vast and beautiful state, from outdoor recreation to economic development. It is important to me that our next Secretary of the Interior have a deep commitment to protecting our public lands, preserving our natural resources and empowering our Tribal Nations. Representative Zinke’s values as an outdoorsman and his stance against wholesale land transfers assures me that he has an understanding of just how essential it is to preserve and protect our public lands. Moreover, he assured me that he will work and consult with local communities to determine which lands should be transferred for economic development, something I support.
“I do have some concerns about Rep. Zinke’s positions on issues like designating national monuments under the Antiquities Act and preserving common-sense energy regulations for public lands, and I will be monitoring the Interior Secretary’s actions closely as a member of this committee and speaking out to ensure the Department is always acting in the best interest of Nevadans. After carefully reviewing Rep. Zinke’s record, I’m hopeful that he will work with federal, state and local officials to address the needs of our state.”
Senator Cortez Masto questioned Rep. Zinke at his nomination hearing. Watch the video here.