Despite the fact that Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the interior is expected to glide through the confirmation process in the Senate relatively unscathed, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) did not hold back on grilling Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) on Tuesday.
To begin, Sanders pressed Zinke on the issue of climate change; Zinke has historically wobbled on the topic, having both signed onto a letter asking President Obama for climate change legislation but also having claimed climate change is manmade. To Sanders, he stated that "the climate is changing" and "man is an influence," and distanced himself from Trump by adding firmly, "I don't believe it's a hoax."
But the extent to which man is affecting climate change is up for debate, Zinke added, pleading a lack of expertise because "I'm not a climate scientist," and claiming the issue is still up for debate in the scientific community.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sanders wasn't having it. While he admitted there might be debate in the Senate committee room, Sanders said, "there's not a debate among scientists."
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central USSpeed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslidesSpeed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
