NEWS RELEASES
David Bernhardt Steps In As Acting Interior Secretary
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through CNN's website.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - CNN reports on David Bernhardt being nominated to replace Ryan Zinke, who left the administration late last year after being Interior Secretary. "I am pleased to announce that David Bernhardt, Acting Secretary of the Interior, will be nominated as Secretary of the Interior. David has done a fantastic job from the day he arrived, and we look forward to having his nomination officially confirmed!" Trump tweeted towards end of January.
CNN writer Eli Watkins relays in his article: "Trump's choice to name Bernhardt, a former energy lobbyist, the acting Interior Department would set the stage for a potentially contentious confirmation process." The Senate confirmed Bernhardt as deputy secretary of the department on a vote of 53-43 in 2017, despite concern from environmental groups about placing the former industry figure in a prominent role overseeing public lands. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, also welcomed the nomination, saying in a statement: "As a native Coloradan from the Western Slope, David knows how important public lands are to our state and has a keen understanding of the issues Coloradans face every day."
Read more on Bernhardt's nomination here.