Q&A with U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke

Editor’s Note: The Daily Inter Lake is republishing select answers from questionnaires completed by the candidates for U.S. House District 1 and submitted to the Montana Free Press. This is the fourth of seven (Libertarian candidate John Lamb and Republic candidate Mary Todd did not submit answers) to appear in print. The candidates are being published in alphabetical order by party.

Ryan Zinke, 60, served as Montana’s sole U.S. congressman from 2014 until 2017, when he relinquished that seat to become the Secretary of the Department of the Interior under former President Donald Trump. Zinke resigned from that position in 2018 after investigations into possible ethics violations, which Zinke dismissed as “false allegations.” In February, the department’s Office of Inspector General found that Zinke had misused his office but had not engaged in criminal conduct.

Since leaving his federal position, Zinke has worked as a contractor for private companies, including ConocoPhillips, Cyber Range Solutions and JVL Enterprises of Dallas.

Before his election to Congress, Zinke was a state lawmaker in Montana. Zinke served as a U.S. Navy SEAL for over 20 years, retiring in 2008.

This biography was compiled with information from the secretary of state’s records, national news articles and reporting by KTVH on Zinke’s 2022 financial disclosure.

Q: Polls indicate many Americans are concerned about the integrity of the nation’s democratic institutions. Both as a political candidate and as a potential member of Congress, what can you do to promote Montanans’ faith in American democracy?

A: The public’s trust and faith in election outcomes is important to ensure confidence in our government. I support the reforms signed into law by Governor Gianforte and believe elections should be run by the states.

Q: Housing costs are an increasing concern for many Montanans. What federal action would you support to promote housing affordability in Montana?

A: The answer to Montana’s housing crisis is not more government housing. The answer is to get government out of the way and reduce costs and timelines for builders. The federal government can take action to promote the affordable and stable supply of building materials to include implementing a series of regulatory holidays, increasing domestic production of raw materials and minerals, and ending covid-era policies and spending that are driving up inflation. We also need meaningful permitting relief; lengthy and costly permitting processes also unnecessarily tie up construction projects.

Q: What do you see as the most important priorities for the management of federal lands in Montana? Should the federal government consider transferring some federally held land into state ownership?

A: I never have and never will support the sale or transfer of federal lands. In fact, I was nearly kicked off the House Natural Resources committee my freshman year of Congress for voting against all sale/transfer efforts and for LWCF reauthorizations. The federal government must prioritize public access and multiple use of public lands. As Secretary, I opened up hunting and fishing access on millions of acres of federal lands, including in Montana. We constantly sought land swaps and acquisitions to open access to landlocked parcels, and we made historic investments in infrastructure for National Parks. The rationing of access at Glacier National Park would have never happened under my watch. The answer is modernizing infrastructure to allow folks to enjoy more of the park versus shutting the park.

Q: In the event Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, would you support federal legislation that either guarantees abortion access or that, alternatively, establishes legal protections for life beginning at conception? What specific provisions would you like to see included in future federal abortion law?

A: I agree with the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court that there is no constitutional right to murder an unborn child.

Q: Do you believe Joe Biden was legitimately elected president in 2020?

A: Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States.

The Montana Free Press is a nonprofit newsroom based in Helena. To see the questionnaire in full, go to: https://apps.montanafreepress.org/election-guide-2022/.