Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition to the nomination of Representative Zinke to become Secretary of the Interior. As is always the case, I take this opposing position with some trepidation. Having served as the Governor of my State, I appreciate the importance of deference to a chief executive's decisions to build his or her team, but at the same time, I think we in the Senate have a constitutional obligation to provide our advice and to provide our consent because in the end not all nominees are best for the country we are pledged to protect. Some of my western colleagues may wonder what stake a small State like Delaware on the east coast would have in the selection of a Secretary of the Interior. It turns out, there is plenty. As the chief land steward of our great Nation, the Secretary of the Interior will be asked to manage our collective interests in the conservation, use, and appropriate management of the abundant land, wildlife, mineral and other resources found on our public lands. For that reason alone, we should expect a firm commitment from such a leader that the American taxpayer will receive full value for private use and profit from the use of our Nation's resources, and we need assurances that the use of those resources will not abuse the quality of life for Americans while enhancing the profits of a very limited few. That, I am very sad to say, does not appear to be Mr. Zinke's track record.…”