Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), who Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke once implied was an alcoholic in a public statement, said that Zinke’s imminent departure is “no kind of victory,” but hopes that a new secretary will usher in an era of change.
“This is no kind of victory, but I’m hopeful that it is a genuine turning of the page,” Grijalva said in a press release. “Secretary Zinke’s successor has a chance to move on from an unfortunate Trump Administration record of environmental mismanagement and decline. A well-managed Interior Department — one that puts the public good ahead of fossil fuel and mining industry demands — can be a boon to the entire country.”
“The next Interior Secretary should respect the American people’s desire for strong environmental standards and an end to corporate favoritism,” he continues. “The Democratic majority on the Natural Resources Committee will be ready to assist in that effort starting in January.”
The two got into a nasty back-and-forth last month after Grijalva wrote an op-ed calling for Zinke to resign.
Zinke retorted by posting on Twitter that it’s “hard for [Grijalva] to think straight from the bottom of the bottle.” The insult is a reference to a settlement Grijalva reached with an employee who accused him of being drunk on the job. The congressman has denied the allegations.
