Rob Bishop: “The Obama administration's notoriously rocky relationship with Congress, and even his own party, meant that he had to…”

“The Obama administration's notoriously rocky relationship with Congress, and even his own party, meant that he had to resort to overregulations to get stuff done. His pen and a phone approach resulted in considerable executive branch overreach. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support a nominee for Secretary of the Interior who is the exact opposite. David Bernhardt is a lawyer who understands exactly what powers and authorities his department is granted under the law and will never overstep those authorities. During the shutdown, for example, he expertly used the authorities under FLREA--whatever those initials represent--to keep many of America's parks open, even as other agencies were closed for business. It is this kind of thinking--putting Americans and those who visit public lands first during tough times--that makes David a talented public servant. He will be an incredible Secretary of the Interior, and I urge the Senate to speedily confirm him. ____________________”