"My judgement and experience tell me it is better for Montana and America to have full-time representation in Congress than run the risk of uncertain absence and missed votes."
"Zinke, a former Navy Seal, said in a letter to constituents that he had undergone multiple surgeries in recent years and faces more medical procedures from injuries sustained during his time in the military. He said his condition, which he did not specify, was not life-threatening but required considerable time for recovery."
"During his time at the interior department Zinke worked to advance Trump's drill, baby, drill agenda and increase oil and gas extraction from government lands. He also advocated for conservation and last year led efforts to remove the potential sales of public lands from a Republican budget proposal."
Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican and former Navy SEAL who served as Interior Secretary during Trump's first administration, announced he will not seek re-election to a fifth House term. Citing multiple surgeries and ongoing medical procedures from military injuries, Zinke stated his condition requires considerable recovery time, though it is not life-threatening. He emphasized that Montana deserves full-time congressional representation without risk of uncertain absences or missed votes. Zinke's departure opens a competitive opportunity for Democrats in a state that has shifted rightward. His political career included four years in the Montana legislature, election to Congress in 2014, resignation from Interior in 2018 amid ethics investigations, and narrow victory in 2022 followed by comfortable re-election in 2024. Several Democratic candidates, including former gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse and union organizer Sam Forstag, are positioned to challenge for the seat.
#congressional-retirement #montana-politics #health-and-medical-issues #interior-department #2024-election
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]