A Ministry of the Interior candidate facing a hearing before the Senate: NPR



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David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist in the oil and gas sector, speaks to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at the hearing to confirm his hearing at the head of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. Inside, at Capitol Hill, Washington, on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP


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J. Scott Applewhite / AP

David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist in the oil and gas sector, speaks to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at the hearing to confirm his hearing at the head of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. Inside, at Capitol Hill, Washington, on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

At a confirmation hearing held on Thursday, President Donald Trump was chosen by Senators as the country's largest land steward. It would take steps to prevent conflicts of interest and improve the ethics guidelines of the Ministry of the Interior.

A former lobbyist who represented oil and gas interests, David Bernhardt was stubborn with questions about his own ethics during his short career as Acting Secretary of the Interior.

Democrats and environmental groups accused the former state secretary of the interior of having made favorable political decisions to former clients.

Bernhardt defended himself before the Senate Committee on Energy and Resources, claiming that he was working and that he would continue to work "to reduce regulatory burdens without sacrificing environmental results."

During his opening statement, a member of the audience sitting behind Bernhardt donned the green mask "Swamp Thing" and continued to listen.

Bernhardt is no stranger to criticism, nor to the Washington Theater.

This 49-year-old lawyer, originally from Colorado, has been working in Washington for decades as a lobbyist and has already held a position in the Department of the Interior under George W. Bush's administration.

Bernhardt, for his part, highlighted his background of Western and environmental advocacy in his opening statements.

"I love the outdoors, hunting and fishing," Bernhardt said.

Republicans praised his experience and experience in the fields of land, water and energy, citing this motive as a reason to confirm it – an end that no doubt, given the Republican control of the Senate.

Energy dominance agenda

But it was Bernhardt's lobbyist's time and his role in Trump's "energy domination" program that drew the most attention from his critics.

Under the leadership of Bernhardt, the Interior Department, which runs about one-fifth of the land in the United States, has decided to open vast tracts of land for oil and gas leases. He also sought to open federal waters for oil and gas exploration. These measures have generated billions of dollars in lease sales, but some are worried about environmental costs and whether Bernhardt should recuse certain political decisions.

"You are so in conflict," Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said at the hearing. "You will have to disqualify yourself from so many questions that I do not know how you will spend your day," otherwise you risk violating the ethical standards of the agency.

Wyden cited recently published papers and a New York Times article showing that Bernhardt had blocked the publication of a scientific report showing that three widely used pesticides could pose risks for more than a thousand years. species at risk.

Bernhardt stated that he had stopped his publication as he needed a new legal review.

This was not the first controversial political decision made by Bernhardt.

As Assistant Secretary of the Interior, he led an effort to revise Sage Grouse conservation plans, a bird the size of a chicken that lives in tens of millions of years. acres of the western US, which would further develop oil and gas development in critical habitat. for the bird. The finalized plans were released earlier this month.

As a lawyer, Bernhardt lobbied for Halliburton Energy Services and the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a professional group representing dozens of oil companies. Many oil and gas companies have said that ground-dwelling bird conservation plans, prior to the Obama era, were too restrictive.

Bernhardt was also criticized for his involvement in water-related problems in California, where he represented the Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, the country's largest agricultural water district.

A survey conducted by member station KQED revealed that the Trump administration had ordered federal biologists to conduct an environmental analysis of water distribution in unprecedented timescales and with little transparency.

"With nearly two dozen former clients having business in front of the agency, David Bernhardt is an ambient conflict of interest who is quite unfit to hold the position of secretary to the company. Interior, "said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities.

Ethical charges and numerous investigations led to the downfall of Bernhardt's predecessor and Trump's first choice to head the Interior Department, Ryan Zinke.

The former Interior Secretary and Montana congressman resigned at the end of last year, citing unwarranted attacks on himself and his family.

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