Donald Trump has chosen congressman and former Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke to be his pick for interior secretary. If confirmed, he would be the first person from Montana to hold that cabinet position.
Here is everything you need to know about Zinke:
Name: Ryan Zinke (pronounced Zin-key)
Age: 55
Party: Republican
Education: Bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Oregon; MBA and Master of Science from the University of San Diego.
Family Tree: He met his wife, Lolita “Lola” Hand, when he was a Navy officer and she was worked as a local public defender. Together, they have two sons, Wolfgang and Konrad, and a daughter, Jennifer, who is a Navy diver and is married to a Navy SEAL. Zinke is a fifth-generation Montanan and grew up near Glacier National Park.
What He Does Now: Zinke is the sole Montana representative in the U.S. House and is serving his second term after being re-elected in November. He serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Natural Resources.
What He Used to Do: Zinke was a Navy SEAL and was awarded two Bronze Stars for combat missions in Iraq. He’s the first Navy SEAL elected to the U.S. House, in 2014, and was in the Montana state Senate from 2009 to 2012, serving on the education and finance and claims committees. He was the CEO of business development company Continental Divide International for almost six years from 2008 to 2014.
His Relationship With Trump: Zinke endorsed Trump for president in May. In November, his wife was appointed to Trump’s Veterans Administration landing team. The two met in Trump Tower on Dec. 12, 2016, and he told the Montana newspaper The Billing Gazette that he and Trump had a “positive meeting.”
“President-elect Donald Trump and I had a very positive meeting where we discussed a wide range of Montana priorities,” Zinke said in a message to the newspaper. “We are both very hopeful for the future.”
Policies He’s Interested In: While campaigning for his U.S. House of Representatives seat, Zinke’s focus included reforming services at the Department of Veterans Affairs, management of federal lands, energy independence, strengthening the economy, maintaining a strong military and border security.
Zinke told The Montana Standard in an October interview that he will “never agree with the transfer or sale of public lands.”
“I view our public lands as sacred and access to our public lands has to be part of it because we’re shutting gates, we’re closing roads and the public is losing access,” Zinke said.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller recently commented on Zinke’s credibility for a spot in the Trump administration, saying on a conference call Monday, “Congressman Zinke is a strong advocate for American energy independence. And he supports an all-encompassing energy policy that includes renewables, fossil fuels, and alternative energy.”
He added: “Congressman Zinke believes we need to find a way to cut through bureaucracy to ensure our nation’s parks, forests, and other public area are properly maintained and used effectively.”
What You Might Not Know About Him: Zinke was an All-Pac-10 lineman on the University of Oregon’s football team. He was a Navy SEAL for over 20 years from 1986 to 2008, retiring at the rank of commander. He considers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty among his friends, both of whom lost their lives in the 2012 Benghazi attack. Zinke has also recently co-authored the book titled “American Commander: Serving a Country Worth Fighting For and Training the Brave Soldiers Who Lead the Way,” along with “American Sniper” author Scott McEwan.
from ABC News: Politics http://ift.tt/2hNiEIK
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