On a 68-31 vote March 1, the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke as the Secretary of the Interior under President Trump. Zinke, a Republican, submitted his resignation that day from his post as the only U.S. House member from Montana.
An election has been scheduled for May 25 to fill the vacancy. In a resignation statement, Zinke said, “I’m resigning not because I do not wish to serve Montana, but rather it is to accept the role of Secretary of the Department of the Interior and serve Montana at a higher level.”
He vowed to “continue fighting for our public lands.” Zinke’s confirmation prompted a flurry of press releases in reaction. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox expressed confidence his fellow Republican would “continue to be a champion of Montana values.”
U.S. Senator Steve Daines, also GOP, called the appointment historic with Zinke being the “first-ever Montanan to ever serve in a President’s cabinet.” Daines added, “He knows that we must strike the right balance between conservation and responsible energy development, and he understands more than most that one-size-fits-all policies from Washington, D.C., never work for real America.”
Montana’s Democratic Governor Steve Bullock congratulated Zinke and said, “Montanans know how important this post is to protecting our public lands, outdoor recreation, tourism, and natural resource industries – and the thousands of good-paying Montana jobs that rely on them.” He vowed to hold Zinke “accountable to Montanans and to the values we place on our outdoor heritage.” Several agricultural organizations praised the appointment.
The Montana Stockgrowers Association called him a “great advocate for Montana and ranching during his tenure in Congress.” The Montana Farm Bureau called him a friend of Montana agriculture and praised his leadership and ability to get things done.
U.S. Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat, said, “As a Montanan, I know how important the Department of Interior is to supporting our western way of life, protect- ing our public lands, and living up to our trust responsibilities in Indian Country. I believe Congressman Zinke will do right by Montana and the country in this role. Montana will be watching, and I know he’ll make us proud.” In his first action after becoming the secretary, Zinke rescinded a regulation banning the use of lead ammunition at the urging of Daines. Daines praised the action as “a strong start protecting Mon- tana’s and our country’s hunting and fishing heritage.”
Citing the many critical issues under consideration in the Congress, Governor Bullock said it is important to get a replacement seated as soon as possible and set the election to choose Zinke’s successor at the soonest date possible. The upcoming election has been pointed to by national media as one of two that could signal how the nation is seeing recent developments in the federal government. It could also have key implications for upcoming Congressional decisions, reports have said. Sunday, the Montana Democratic Party chose musician and songwriter Rob Quist as its nominee for the House seat.
Sen. Tester called him “a real Montanan who understands the value of hard work, responsibility, and protect- ing our Montana way of life.” He added, “I look forward to working with him to protect public access to public lands, ensure health care isn’t stripped away from thousands of Montanans, and strengthen public education for future generations.”
The Montana Republican Party selected Bozeman technology entrepreneur Greg Gianforte Monday night, who lost a hard-fought race for governor to Bullock in 2016. Gianforte made it clear he will support Trump and his proposed changes. Gianforte ads hit the airwaves over the weekend, even before the GOP decision. By Tuesday morning his supporters had negative ads against Quist on air in what promises to be a hard-fought race seen as a referendum on the Trump Administration
