Chris Van Hollen: “I oppose the nomination of Representative Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior. The Department of the Interior is…”

“I oppose the nomination of Representative Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior. The Department of the Interior is charged with judicious management of our Nation's public lands. It is responsible for balancing conservation, recreation, and development to ensure that Americans get the best use and best value from our collective natural resources. President Teddy Roosevelt, one of the greatest stewards of our public lands, once said: ``I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.'' The Obama administration took important steps to protect our resources and provide best value to taxpayers. Taking Atlantic Ocean drilling off the table protects our coastal areas and the vital tourism industry up and down the Eastern Shore, including Ocean City. Modernizing the coal leasing process ensures that taxpayers get proper payment for use of common resources. Preventing methane leakage on public lands stops waste of resources and pollution from a potent greenhouse gas. Representative Zinke's history in Congress casts doubt on his commitment to these important initiatives. He has a mere 3 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters and an F grade from the National Parks Action Fund.…”