Zinke hits Dems for delaying Interior nominees

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke hit back at Democrats on Wednesday during a contentious budget hearing, accusing them of “willfully” delaying the confirmation of his department’s nominees.

“In my opinion, it’s being slow-rolled, and it’s not the White House,” Zinke said in response to questions from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on the slow pace of staffing during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, the Environment and Related Agencies.

Zinke said he agreed with Murkowski, the subcommittee’s chairwoman, that not enough was being done.

“You did your part,” he told Murkowski, saying she had helped move the administration’s “eminently qualified” nominees through the Senate Energy Committee, but said others in Congress were slowing the process.

{mosads}”That is a frustration, and I suspect it’s being done willfully,” Zinke added.

President Trump’s pick for deputy Interior secretary is one of the more high-profile nominations yet to be cleared.

Trump tapped David Bernhardt to be deputy secretary of the Interior, but Democrats have raised concerns about his past work in lobbying and his potential conflicts of interest.

Bernhardt served eight years in former President George W. Bush’s Interior Department. He left government to work for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a natural resources law firm, where he earned at least $1.1 million lobbying for energy and mining companies, according to financial disclosures.

Bernhardt has said he would recuse himself from any matters at Interior that deal with former clients for a year after his confirmation, but many Democrats think the recusal period should be longer.

Bernhardt passed through committee in a 14-9 vote, mostly along party lines, with only Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joining Republicans to back him

Zinke touted Bernhardt’s government experience on Wednesday and listed off his accomplishments.

“Yeah, I think he’s qualified,” he said.