Republican lawmaker with a better tribal record tapped for Interior Secretary

This time it's official -- Republican president-elect Donald Trump has tapped a lawmaker with a more favorable record on tribal issues to head up the Interior Department.

Since joining Congress in 2015, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana) has supported tribes on water, taxation, health care, federal recognition, economic development, energy, violence against Native women, and sovereignty matters. If he is confirmed as Secretary of the Interior, he would be the key person in the incoming administration that deals with Indian issues.

But Trump didn't mention tribes at all as his transition team made the official announcement on Wednesday. Instead he indicated that other issues on Interior's plate, including public lands management and exploitation of natural resources, were his priorities.

http://www.indianz.com/News/2016/12/15/republican-with-better-tribal-record-tap.asp