Jan. 17 (UPI) — Interior secretary designate Ryan Zinke coasted through a rather uneventful confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday.
As President-elect Donald Trump’s point man on interior matters like federal land, mining and wildlife policy, Zinke gave his opinions on a number of items during questioning.
Alaska drilling
During his testimony, Zinke sounded like a man intent on making certain Alaskans don’t lose their ways of life from declining oil drilling in the region.
“We have to understand, we need an economy,” he said. “If we don’t have an economy as a country, then the rest of it doesn’t matter. Alaska is different.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who led most of the questioning on this issue, expressed her hope that Zinke would offer better management than outgoing Obama Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has.
Many Alaskans have been opposed to the Obama administration’s handling of the drilling issue, particularly since it has acted to stop drilling in many parts of the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort waters.
“To state that Alaska has had a difficult or a tenuous relationship with the outgoing administration is probably more than an understatement,” she said.
Climate Change
Zinke showed somewhat of a difference from Trump regarding global warming, telling the panel he doesn’t believe climate change is a hoax. However, he did note that he believes the human role in the phenomenon is not yet fully understood.
Nonetheless, the interior appointee seemed to indicate Tuesday that he will be open to fossil fuel drilling on federal land.
“We have to have an economy,” he told Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt.
Sales of Federal Lands
Zinke defended his vote in the House earlier this month for a rule to make it easier to transfer ownership of federal land to private parties.
He said though the rule has not been implemented, it is a “shot across the bow” from environmentalists and sportsmen who are upset about the federal government’s management of land, particularly in the west.
“It was an indicator of how upset people are about our land policy at that moment, particularly if you are in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana,” Zinke said.
Russia
Though the Montana congressman likely will never influence policy with a direct influence on Russia, he did acknowledge a way Tuesday that he feels would be a good bargaining chip.
“If we want to check Russia, let’s do it with natural gas,” he said, referring to oil-rich Russia’s grip over European energy.
The remark indicated that Zinke may also differ with Trump’s view of a potential ally in Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
If Zinke is approved by the committee, his candidacy will go before a vote in the full Senate.
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