After a long wait, Zinke confirmed as Secretary of the Interior

Montana Republican Congressman and Whitefish native Ryan Zinke was confirmed as the next Secretary of the Interior Wednesday morning by a 63-31 vote in the U.S. Senate.

“Today it is with a heavy but optimistic heart that I resign from my position as the Congressman for Montana. 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,” Zinke said in a statement. “First, I want to say thank you to the people of Montana. It has been an honor to serve you in Congress, and I appreciate the faith and trust you put in me to represent your values, interests, and priorities. It was my privilege to sit at your kitchen tables and in your schools to talk about problems we face and the solutions to tackle those issues. Perhaps no issues were more important to me personally than looking out for our troops, respecting sovereignty of the Tribes, and maintaining access to our public lands.

“As your Congressman, I always looked to you for guidance and it was with your resounding support that I actively fought to keep our public lands public. I consistently bucked party leadership and voiced my opinions loud and clear in the House Committee on Natural Resources, and I voted at every turn to oppose the sale and transfer of our public lands. I assure you that I will continue fighting for our public lands as I serve Montana and the American people in the Department of the Interior.”

Both Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester voted for Zinke’s appointment, which has been a long time coming.

President Donald Trump chose Zinke to head up the department back in December. Zinke’s been waiting in the wings ever since.

“This is a historic moment for Montana as Congressman Zinke is the first Montanan to ever serve in a President’s cabinet,” Daines said. “Ryan is a Montanan who grew up in America’s public lands. 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.”

Daines and Zinke first met at Boys State in Dillon in 1979.

“As a Montanan, I know how important the Department of Interior is to supporting our western way of life, protecting 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,” Tester said.

With Zinke officially a member of the Trump cabinet, Montana will now hold a special election.

Gov. Steve Bullock says a special election will be held May 25 to fill Zinke’s seat in the U.S. House.

On Sunday, the Democrats chose singer and songwriter Rob Quist as their candidate. On Monday, the Republicans chose Greg Gianforte, who lost to Gov. Steve Bullock in the election last fall.