Interior Secretary Candidate Gets the Nod of Pacific Delegates

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Pacific Island delegates in Congress are giving President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Interior Secretary high marks, and expect Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke to be sensitive to the needs of the territories.

We go to our Washington DC Correspondent Matt Kaye for that story.

Like most of President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees, Congressman Ryan Zinke is drawing fire from environmentalists and others—but not from island Congressional delegates.

American Samoa’s Aumua Amata Radewagen says she’s tried to educate the fellow House Natural Resources Committee Republican—

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Asked if she was surprised that President-elect Trump tapped for Interior chief, the very Congressman who’s been sitting next to her for nearly two-years, Amata had this:

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Meantime, Guam Democrat Madeleine Bordallo, also on Natural Resources, and on Armed Services with Zinke, says the Montana Republican served his nation “honorably” as a Navy Seal and will “serve the country well” as Secretary of the Interior.

Bordallo expects Zinke to focus on the broader energy issues Interior covers, but says she hopes to work with Zinke and whoever is the next Insular Areas Assistant Secretary on issues important to the US islands, including funding, natural resource, education and political status.

 

 

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