WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Tracy Stone-Manning as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in a vote of 50-45. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:
"The very least we should expect from our leaders is honesty and transparency. Unfortunately, Tracy Stone-Manning's alarming track record is a far cry from those standards. Her direct ties to ecoterrorism and her questionable financial historyare just the tip of the iceberg. No one is entitled to a leadership position, least of all someone personally involved in actions that endangered the lives of loggers and saw mill owners. Opposition to Ms. Stone-Manning's nomination has been bipartisan since the outset, and it's extremely disappointing to see Democrat senators prioritize extremist environmental groups over the voices and well-being of rural Americans."
Background
On April 22, 2021, the Biden administration announced Stone-Manning as the nominee for BLM director. During the confirmation process,Stone-Manning lied about herimplication in an ecoterrorism criminal investigation and failed to disclose her finances, prompting widespreadcriticism from members of Congress, industry groups and local stakeholders.
Westerman led asigned by more than 70 House Republicans to President Joe Biden in July,urging him to rescindStone-Manning's nomination.House Committee on Judiciary Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) also joined Westerman in September to sendletters determining whether the White House and the Department of the Interior were aware of Stone-Manning's participation in tree spiking and her receipt of a personal loan from a Democrat donor.
