Senator Murray on Secretary Bernhardt: moving forward, I will “work with my colleagues in Congress—and the American people—to hold him accountable for ensuring the preservation of our priceless public lands and natural resources”
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the statement below today in response to David Bernhardt’s confirmation as President Trump’s next Secretary of the Interior.
“True to form, President Trump’s newest Interior Secretary comes to the Department having spent a career working to advance fossil fuel-friendly policies that hurt our planet, undermine bedrock environmental protections, and reverse critical guidelines meant to defend our environment from the immediate threat of climate change. Even more alarming, it appears Mr. Bernhardt continued lobbying the Department on behalf of his former clients even after he joined the agency—raising serious ethical concerns about his leadership and commitment to protecting our federal lands.
“I opposed his confirmation, and moving forward will work with my colleagues in Congress—and the American people—to hold him accountable for ensuring the preservation of our priceless public lands and natural resources. President Trump’s pattern of nominating individuals who are ideologically opposed to the mission of the federal agencies they have been tasked to lead must end, and I will continue urging Senate Republicans to join us in making that clear.”
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