Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today in opposition to the nomination of David Bernhardt to be Secretary of the Interior. I opposed his nomination as Deputy Secretary of the Interior because of his numerous conflicts of interest as a former lobbyist. Bernhardt's tenure, both as Deputy Secretary and now the Acting Secretary at Interior, has since confirmed my initial concerns and given rise to new ones. As a former partner at a powerful DC lobbying and law firm, Bernhardt represented numerous oil, gas, mining, and water companies with ongoing business before the Department that he now oversees. The Washington Post recently reported that he has at least 22 known conflicts of interest, the most of any of President Trump's nominees. This is particularly concerning given that Mr. Bernhardt's recusals mandated by President Trump will expire in August, and he has refused to commit to continuing recusing himself beyond then on any issues that could benefit former clients. In fact, during his recent confirmation hearing, Bernhardt stated that recusal isn't ``really is the best strategy''--an unacceptable stance. By refusing to recuse himself, Bernhardt has shown a potential willingness to put his former clients' needs before the public good. One troubling example is his relationship with Cadiz, a company that wants to profit by draining a critical aquifer in the Mojave Desert. Before coming to the Department of the Interior, Mr.…”